15 temples vandalised, houses of Hindus looted in Bangladesh over Facebook post

Dhaka: At least 15 Hindu temples in Bangladesh were vandalised and properties worth lakhs were destroyed allegedly over allegations of disrespect shown to Islam on Facebook, triggering panic among the minority community in the Muslim-majority nation.

Temples in Brahmanbarhia district’s Nasirnagar were vandalised on Sunday; besides over 100 houses of Hindus in the area were also looted.

After the mayhem for hours, two temples in adjacent Habiganj’s Madhabpur also came under attack, police and witnesses said.

At least 200 unnamed people have been sued for allegedly vandalising two temples in Madhabpur of Habiganj district, ANI quoted Bangladesh media as saying.

Paramilitary Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in Nasirnagar and Madhabpur Upazila headquarters along with the Rapid Action Battalion, police and Armed Police Battalion, bdnews24.com reported.

The district’s Deputy Commissioner Rezwanur Rahman and Superintendent of Police Mizanur Rahman inspected the area later in the afternoon.

But the leaders of the local Hindu community say the panic that has gripped them is not going away.

The attack was carried out in a style followed by the attackers of Buddhist community in Cox’s Bazar in 2012 on a similar allegation of disrespect towards Islam through a Facebook post.

Locals said Nasirnagar incident started with a Facebook post by one Rasraj Das from Harinberh village under Haripur Union Parishad.

Police detained Rasraj on Friday immediately after the allegation of blasphemy had surfaced against him. He was sent to jail following a court order, Mr. Mizanur Rahman said.

Protests against Rasraj’s post were called under the banner of ‘Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat’ in Habiganj district headquarters and Nasirnagar. Demonstrations were also announced in Habiganj’s Madhabpur.