Lagatar24 Desk
Dhaka, Oct.16: Two Hindu men were slain in new religious violence in Bangladesh on Saturday, bringing the total number of people killed in recent disturbances in the Muslim-majority country to six.
Following footage of a Quran being put on the knee of a Hindu idol during Durga Puja celebrations, protests began on Wednesday. Approximately 10% of the population is made up of minorities.
Officials informed that after Friday prayers on the final day of Durga Puja, hundreds of Muslims joined a street parade in the southern town of Begumganj.
According to local police station chief Shah Imran, more than 200 demonstrators assaulted a temple where Hindus were ready to execute the final rites of the 10-day celebration. An executive member of the temple committee was beaten and stabbed to death, he added.
Another Hindu man’s body was discovered near a pond near the temple on Saturday morning, according to Shahidul Islam. “Since the incident yesterday, two persons have died. We’re on the lookout for the perpetrators ,” he added.
After footage of the Quran incident surfaced on social media, anti-Hindu violence spread to more than a dozen regions across Bangladesh this week.
Late Wednesday, police opened fire on a throng of roughly 500 people assaulting a Hindu temple in Hajiganj, one of several towns affected by the unrest.
According to community leader Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, at least 150 Hindus have been injured across the country, and at least 80 makeshift temples have been attacked. The figures were not confirmed by authorities.
To prevent more unrest, local officials have deployed additional security, including paramilitary border guards.
On Friday, riots erupted in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, and Chittagong, prompting police to fire tear gas and rubber bullets at tens of thousands of Muslim demonstrators throwing bricks.
In an apparent attempt to prevent the violence from spreading, high-speed mobile phone internet services were cut off.
On Thursday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met with Hindu leaders and threatened strong measures.
“Around 90 people have been arrested thus far. We’ll also go after all the masterminds, ” Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan stated.
