Satkhira, Apr 2 (bdnews24.com) – The superintendent of police (SP) of the district and its Kaliganj police station's officer in-charge (OC) were withdrawn on Monday - a day after at least 10 houses belonging to Hindu community were vandalised and set ablaze.
Satkhira additional SP Jaydeb Kumer informed bdnews24.com about the withdrawal of SP Habibur Rahman and OC Syed Fariduddin.
"Their withdrawal orders was received from the police headquarters on Monday through fax," he said.
Meanwhile, Jaydeb has been deputed as the SP and Detective Branch inspector Amanullah replaced Fariduddin as the OC.
Police said heated arguments took place on Mar 27 at Fatehpur School in Kaliganj over alleged disrespect shown to Prophet Mohammad (SM) during a play staged there as part of the Independence Day celebrations.
Later in the day, police arrested the school's headmaster and the playwright, an assistant teacher, following protest by a group of Muslims in the area.
According to witnesses, a group of Muslim residents of the area attacked the houses of Hindu residents on Sunday after a dispute arose during an arbitration on the matter at Kaliganj upazila's Chakdaha village.
At least 10 houses were vandalised, looted and four of them set on fire.
Although fire-fighters arrived on the spot on being informed, they could not douse the fire due to obstruction from the locals.
It was only after Kaliganj upazila executive officer Mohammad Tawfiq-Elahi Chowdhury, OC Fariduddin, police, BGB and RAB personnel arrived on the scene that the attackers left the place after looting and burning the houses.
Later, Satkhira deputy commissioner Anwar Hossain Hawlader, additional DIG Rafiqul Islam, district Awami League unit president and MP Mujibur Rahman and general secretary Nazrul Islam visited the village.
They urged people to calm down promising action against the culprit. They also promised compensation to the victims.
Satkhira is a stronghold of Jamaat-e-Islami, key member of the opposition alliance led by BNP.
bdnews24.com/corr/trb/nir/2345h
