Another Hindu house torched in Nasirnagar

Yet another Hindu house at Nasirnagar upazila in Brahmanbaria has come under arson attack despite patrolling of BGB, Rab and police. 

The fresh arson, fifth of its kind in the upazila, took place early yesterday amid a massive outcry over the October 30 hate attacks on Hindu houses and temples centring a Facebook image “hurting sentiments of Muslims”.

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“Unidentified people set fire to a room where fishing nets were kept in the house of Chhottu Lal Das at Paschim Para under Changapur around 5:15am,” Officer-in-Charge of Nasirnagar Police Station Abu Jafar said, adding locals doused the fire. 

The incident happened after an eight-member vigilance team formed by locals returned home around 5:00am, said a correspondent from Nasirnagar.

Apart from additional deployment of police, BGB and Rab, locals have been guarding the areas in groups following the October 30 mayhem in which zealots and goons vandalised and looted over hundred houses and at least 17 temples. 

Yesterday's attack spread panic among already frightened minority community in the areas, said locals.

Brahmanbaria Superintendent of Police Mizanur Rahman said the latest arson is the continuation of the October 30 hate attacks.

He said it is most likely that those involved in previous attacks carried out yesterday's arson as a vested group wants to create panic through such incidents.

“We had already brought the situation under control but this fresh attack was carried out to create panic again and destroy communal harmony,” he added. 

On November 3, five Hindu homes were torched in Banikpara, Akhrapara, Thakurpara and Hashpatalpara between 3:00am and 4:00am.

The same day, a pile of straw belonging to a Hindu family at Chotipara in Gokarna was set on fire.

Another Hindu home came under arson attack on November 5.

Md Liakat Ali, newly appointed upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Nasirnagar, said he has no idea how and why such an attack took place amid adequate security measures. “We are investigating to identify the culprits.”

Kajal Dutta, president of Nasirnagar Puja Udjapon Parishad, a committee to organise Puja, said Hindus cannot feel safe when a house is torched amid tight security. 

Deputy Commissioner Rezwanur Rahman, SP Mizanur Rahman, Lt Col Shah Ali, commanding officer of BGB Battalion 12; Nasirnagar Upazila Chairman ATM Maniruzzaman and UNO Liakat visited the spot.