BNP, Jamaat attack Hindu village in Jessore

BNP-Jamaat activists vandalised and looted 130 houses and torched 10 others at a Hindu village in Abhaynagar upazila of Jessore tonight hours after the end of voting in 10th parliamentary polls.

The mayhem started as two men -- Biswanath Sarkar and Shyamol Sarkar -- of Chapatola Malopara village, went to the Chapatola Aliya Madrasa polling centre earlier on the day, ignoring the opposition's embargo, reports our Jessore correspondent quoting Emdad Hossain, officer-in-charge of Abhaynagar Police Station.

More than 200 activists of BNP and Jamaat, led by local opposition leader Ariful Aksu and Kashem Ali, entered the village around 6:00pm blasting 15 crude bombs and injured Biswanath and Shyamol, the police official added.

The appalled villagers swam across the adjacent Bhairab river and took shelter on the other side at Diyapara village to escape the brutal attack, the OC said.

Agitated activists then vandalised and looted at least 130 houses and set fire on 10 others, he said.

On information, the joint forces rushed to the spot around 9:00pm and brought the situation under control, the OC added.

The joint forces have started a drive to find the miscreants who were involved in the atrocity.