10 accused remanded in Rangpur communal violence case

A Rangpur court has granted a 2-day remand to each of 10 more people arrested in connection with the arson, vandalism and looting of minority houses in Pirganj of Rangpur.

Police have remanded 60 people in connection with the attacks so far.

Rangpur Senior Judicial Magistrate Court-2 Judge Fazle Elahi granted the remand today.

Rangpur Police Superintendent Kumar Sarkar said, "So far, 70 people have been arrested in connection to the incident. The court has granted a 3-day remand to 50 people and a 2-day remand to 10 people. The others will be produced before the court."

The court has already sent two arrestees to jail; Mamun Mandal and Omar Faruk.

Police said, Mamun and Omar are supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami even though they do not hold party posts.

Earlier on Sunday evening, the main culprit behind the Pirganj attack, Saikat Mandal, and his associate Robiul Islam gave confessional statements in court.

A total of 7 accused, so far, have confessed about the attack to the court.

The 50 accused have been sent to jail after their remand.  

On 17 October, at least 52 Hindu houses in Pirganj were set on fire and looted centring an alleged Facebook post demeaning the Holy Kaaba by a college student named Paritosh Sarker. He was later arrested by the police in a case filed for hurting religious sentiment of Muslims.