The Police has arrested 130 attackers in connection to the attacks on Hindus by the Muslim mob in the Chowmuhani market area, Begumganj Upazila, Noakhali, on October 15. Reportedly, two people had died in the temple attacks, and several were injured. Overall, 72 cases have been registered in connection to attacks that happened at different locations. A total of 450 attackers have been arrested.

Shahidul Islam, Superintendent of Police, was quoted by Bangla Tribune on Thursday to confirm the arrests. He said 18 cases were registered in the district against the attackers against 285 named and around 5,000 unnamed persons. Sections including assault, vandalism, arson, looting and murder were including the cases filed.

The first death reported was of 42-years-old Jatan Kumar Saha, who died after sustaining fatal injuries during the riots in Chowmuhani. On Sunday, Pranto Das was found dead in a pond next to the ISKCON temple in Chowmuhani.

Violent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh

Several temples and houses of Hindus were attacked. Some temples and houses were burnt down. Some shops and business establishments were also assaulted during the riots.

On October 15, the ISKCON temple was severely damaged by the attackers. During the attacks that happened over a period of five to six days, 101 Hindu temples and pandals, 181 houses and shops were burnt down by the Islamists. What adds to the shame for the neighbouring country, just two days before the attacks, they had celebrated the ‘Ganga Jamuna Cultural Festival’ celebrating diversity and communal harmony.

On October 20, 35-years-old Iqbal Hossain, son of Nur Ahmed Alam from the Sujanagar area of Comilla, was identified by the Police as the person who had placed Quran in the Puja Pandal that led to the attacks. Reports suggest that Hossain is absconding.

One Md Foyez Ahmed, who had posted the video of the Comilla puja mandap that triggered the violence, was arrested by the Police on October 13 itself.

Thousands of members of Bangladesh's ruling party rallied on Tuesday' 19 Oct in support of the nation's besieged minority Hindus after one of the worst bouts of communal violence in the Muslim-majority nation for over a decade.

The wave of clashes left at least six people dead and dozens of homes destroyed, according to local media.

Bangladesh's ruling party rallies for Hindus after deadly clashes

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party held a rally in the capital Dhaka, with thousands marching along a 4 km route in the heart of the city, calling for a halt to the violence.

"Stop this communal evil, Bangladesh," read one banner held by women supporters.

Elsewhere in Dhaka, several hundred writers gathered, holding up handwritten messages and small posters. "Teach your children to love, not to kill," one said.

Peace Appeals

Awami League lawmaker and joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said party workers planned a series of rallies across the country over the next two weeks.

"The panic has to be removed," Hanif told Reuters.

Hindus make up around 10% of Bangladesh's nearly 170 million people.

Communal tensions have long simmered in Bangladesh, whose constitution designates Islam as the state religion but also upholds the principle of secularism.

"Recent attacks on Hindus of Bangladesh, fuelled by hate speech on social media, are against the values of the Constitution and need to stop," tweeted Mia Seppo, the United Nations' resident coordinator.

Rights group Amnesty International called for an investigation and punishment for perpetrators.

People also seems to be very annoyed by complete silence of PM and HMO Amit Shah of India on the violence against Hindu in Bangladesh. One tweeter user says, "Our Modi, RSS, Shah again in incognito mode, when Hindus need them the most. How can PM Modi a avoid to talk on violence in Bangladesh against Hindus. Till when will PM keep running away from his responsibilities as PM of a HINDU nation."

A large rally of Hindus are coming out and doing protest against such situation.

U.S. condemns attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh

The message from the global community including top UN official, was prompted by a nearly week-long spell of communal violence targeting the minority Hindus during the just concluded Durga puja celebrations.

The United States has condemned recent reports of attacks on the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh.

“Freedom of religion or belief is a human right. Every person around the world, regardless of their religious affiliation or belief, should feel safe and supported to celebrate important holidays,” a State Department spokesperson said.

“The State Department condemns the recent reports of attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh,” the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, Pranesh Halder, a member of the Bangladeshi Hindu community, in a statement urged the department “to ensure that no further harm comes to the beleaguered Hindus of Bangladesh”.

He urged US-based watchdog groups and media houses to highlight the gravity of the violence in Bangladesh.

On Sunday, the Bangladeshi Hindu diaspora organised a protest in front of the Embassy of that country here to protest large-scale violence leading to the destruction of Hindu homes and temples during Durga Puja festivities across Bangladesh.

“It is especially horrifying to see the last remaining Hindus in Noakhali being attacked in this way, 75 years after Islamists demanding the creation of Pakistan, killed 12,000 Hindus and forcibly converted 50,000 to Islam in October 1946,”said Utsav Chakrabarti, Executive Director of HinduPACT, a US-based Hindu advocacy group.

HinduPACT said indigenous Hindus continue to be the target of organised hate and discrimination in Bangladesh, a country where the minority population has steadily decreased from 28 per cent in the 1940s to nine per cent now.

“This recent wave of violence confirms the danger indigenous Hindus continue to face. Fifty years after nearly 2.8 million of them were killed and another 10 million of them turned destitute and made to become refugees by the Pakistan Army in 1971, during the independence struggle of Bangladesh, Hindus continue to be targeted for their faith,” it said.

References

Opindia.com -   OpIndia Staff - 21 October, 2021
Reuters.com - By Mohammad Ponir Hossain - October 19, 2021
Thehindu.com - U.S. condemns attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh - PTI - October 19, 2021