People involved in Pirganj attacks will be arrested soon: Speaker

Legal action will be taken against the miscreants who attacked, vandalised and set fire to houses belonging to the Hindu community in Karimpur Majhi Para village of Pirganj upazila, said the national parliament Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Choudhury.

The government is providing financial aid to the victims of the attacks, said the speaker while paying a visit to her own constituency at Rangpur-6  where the Hindu communities of Karimpur villages came under communal attacks. 

She interacted with the victims and inspected the damaged temples and houses.

On the other hand, former information minister and JSD president Hasanul Haque Inu said that temples of 32,000 Hindus have been protected in the country but 50 were not.

The administration is responsible for this, said Inu, who also went to inspect the site, demanding speedy arrest and punishment of the miscreants.

Earlier on Sunday night, Tk9 lakh cash assistance and 100 bundles of corrugated iron sheets were distributed among 65 affected families, according to the Rangpur district administration.

Meanwhile, victims claimed that 135 houses were vandalised and 18 houses were set on fire on the day of the incident. Cattle and jewellery were looted. Furniture including houses has been damaged.

Rupin Chandra Das of Karimpur village said he was strangled on the day of the incident. The miscreants looted his house and took away Tk70,000, jewellery along with cattle.

Sumon Chandra Roy of the same village said that rice, pulses, salt, money and cows in his house were looted and taken away by the miscreants.

People of various organisations, politicians and administration kept visiting the spot in Karimpur village of Rangpur since this morning. They promised that those involved in the incident will be brought to book.

Following the attack,  sizeable police, BGB and law enforcers along with plainclothes forces were deployed in the area.