Puja mandap attack in Noakhali: Main accused shown arrested in 4 cases

A Noakhali court has shown Iqbal Hossain, the man responsible for placing the Quran in a Cumilla puja mandap, arrested in four cases filed over the attack on puja mandaps in Noakhali's Begumganj and adjacent areas.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Kazi Sonia Akhter and Magistrate Md Emdad of District Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court on Tuesday passed the order in presence of the accused.

Iqbal was later lodged in Noakhali district jail.

CID Noakhali Special Superintendent of Police Bashir Ahmed said that Iqbal Hossain was produced before the court this morning with a plea of arrest in four cases which are being separately investigated by four different Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials.

District Court Police Inspector Md Shah Alam said, "Iqbal has been shown arrested in three cases filed in connection with the temple attack in Chaumuhani and one case filed in connection with the temple attack in Companiganj. All four cases are under the investigation of Noakhali CID."

The four cases under which Iqbal has been shown arrested are cases no. 27, 19, 31 filed with Begumganj police station and case no 14 with Companiganj police station.

On 13 October, a copy of the Holy Quran was found at a puja mandap in Cumilla. This triggered a spate of communal attacks on puja mandaps and temples in several parts of the country that continued for 4-5 days. Seven people died during these attacks.

At least 71 cases were filed in different districts over the attacks and at least 450 people were arrested, according to the police.

Later, police arrested Iqbal Hossain from Cox's Bazar who admitted to the act during the primary investigation. CCTV footage of the area also confirmed his involvement.  

Iqbal is the son of Nur Ahmed Alam, a fish trader, of Laskarpukur area of Muradpur union in Cumilla. He, the eldest among five siblings, quit school after the fifth grade and reportedly is a drug addict.

Following the incident in Cumilla, some 800-1000 rioters gathered near the puja mandap under Begumganj police station in Chayani Union of Noakhali district around 11:20am on 14 October. At one point, they attacked the magistrate, police and BGB who were patrolling the temple, with innumerable bricks and sticks, vandalised the idols and set the temple on fire.

Two people named Jatan Saha, 42, and Pranta Chandra Das, 26, were killed in the attack. More than 50 people including four policemen were injured.