5 arrested, more than 200 unidentified people sued over Narail communal attacks

The police have filed a case against 200-250 unidentified people in the incident of attacking Hindus in Digholia village of Narail's Lohagara upazila over a Facebook post allegedly belittling Islam.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Makruf Rahman of Lohagra police station lodged the case on Sunday night, confirmed Superintendent of Narail Police Probir Kumar Roy.

"Three people have been arrested so far in connection with the vandalism of houses, shops and two temples," Probir Kumar Roy said hoping that rest of the accused will be arrested soon.

Two others were also arrested later taking the number of arrestees to five. They are - Md Said Sheikh, Md Russel Mridha, Kabir Gazi, Rezaul Sheikh and Md Masum Billah. All five of them will be produced in court with a 7-day bail plea, said the investigation officer Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman.

Two cases have been filed so far over the incident.

Earlier, on the night of 16 July, Salah Uddin Kochi of Digholia village filed a defamation case against a Hindu college student Akash Saha for hurting religious sentiments, following which he was arrested from Khulna on Saturday night.

Photo: TBS

On 14 July, Akash Saha reportedly posted a derogatory comment about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on Facebook, triggering anger among Muslims, who later carried out the attack on Friday (15 July) evening.

The attackers vandalised more than 10 houses and shops, including one owned by the student's father Ashok Saha. At the same time, some houses were set on fire.

Apart from pelting bricks and stones, the protesters vandalised idols, chairs and sound boxes of the Sahapara temple.

Frightened by this, most of the Hindu family members took shelter in the nearby villages.

Photo: TBS

However, the upazila administration is claiming that the situation in the village is now under control.

Lohagara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Azgar Ali said, "Members of several units of the law enforcement are now deployed in the village."