Three held over inviting Hindus to convert

Police in Magura have detained three people for interrogation after panic spread in the local Hindu community following the distribution of letters inviting Hindus to Islam.

The detainees are Yousuf Hossain, 35, of Chowgachi village, Korban Mollah, 42, of Moheshpur village, and Habibur Rahman, 42, of Dariapur village, of the district.

Officer-in-charge of Sreepur Police Station Ali Ahmed Masud said the three persons have been held for interrogation in this regard.

Korban works in a community clinic in Moheshpur village and Habibur runs a library at Chasilapur Bazar.

On Friday night, some Muslim locals distributed letters referring to the verses of the Holy Quran among the Hindu community.

They distributed 50 letters in Malainagar, Chargoaldah, Goaldah, and Anandanagar villages.

The letter, a copy of which The Daily Star obtained, sought to persuade Hindus to come to Islam so that they could have an afterlife.

As panic spread among the Hindu community, Saifuzzaman Shikhor, a ruling party lawmakr from Magura-1, went to a meeting with members of the Hindu community at Chargoaldah village on Saturday night and told them not to panic.

Niranjon Mondol, a shopkeeper of Malainagar village, told this correspondent that around 8:30pm on Friday, one Habibur Rahman -- clad in a panjabi and pyjama -- gave him a letter and said Niranjon was invited to their meeting at Chowgachi Moktab.

Golok Chandra Mondol of Chargoaldah village said he and other members of the Hindu community were fearing an attack.

Another villager, Amal Kumar Sarkar, echoed Golok's statement.