At least 25 people have been arrested so far in Char Aicha village in Barisal in connection with the death of a college student on Thursday, and the subsequent retaliatory arson attacks on the houses and temples of the local Hindu community on Friday morning.
Till filing of this report, no case had been lodged in connection with the killing or with the incidents of arson at the Hindu community in Nomo Para.
Most of the local residents in the affected area have left their houses, fearing police harassment and avoiding the tense situation prevailing in the area.
Five of the arrestees - Santo, Pijush, Biren, Samir and Pavel – were detained on Friday after the killing and were presented before the court on Saturday. Twenty others who were arrested are still under interrogation, said Rezaul Islam, officer-in-charge at Bandar police station.
The district administration started relief and rehabilitation activities soon after the incident and a three-member probe committee, headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner Abul Kalam Azad, has already submitted a report, said Deputy Commissioner Shohidul Alam.
The head of the probe committee said a total of 15 houses were fully gutted and seven were partly burnt, while properties worth Tk10m had been damaged during the attacks.
The probe report quoted locals and victims as saying that strong steps by the law enforcement agencies could have prevented the atrocities.
The probe report also suggested deploying additional law enforcers in the area until the situation in the area returns to normal again, the probe committee chief said.
On Thursday night, college student Parvez Gazi, 20, was hacked to death, while Jahirul Haoladar, 22, Pavel Gazi, 18, and Shamim Reza, 22, were injured following a disputes over badminton with other youths, most of whom were allegedly from the local minority community.
On Friday morning, rumors that Jahirul had died from his injuries lead a mob of over a thousand people to attack and set fire to the houses and temples of Pandit Bari, Dhopa Bari, Napit Bari, Master Bari, and Shiali Bari in the Hindu community at Nomo Para.
Meanwhle, a police camp has been opened at the local Matri Govt Primary School in the area.
“We are trying to convince the people to return to the area and maintain peace, law and order, and assuring that there will be no harassing of any innocent people,” said Md Shamsuddin, commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP).
However, local residents blamed the police for failing to prevent the burning of the houses and temples belonging to the Hindu community.
Azizul Huq Akkas, BNP leader and Sadar upazila chairman, and Monirul Islam Chhobi, local UP chairman, said members of different communities had a peaceful coexistence in the area and insisted that the incident was not communal, but rather an outburst over the killing and attack on youths who were playing badminton.
Dr Sudhanshu, a local resident who fled the area, said there were still fears about the repetition of such incidents, as the law enforcement agencies had yet to prove their competency.
However, BMP Commissioner Md Shamsuddin and Bandar police station officer-in-charge Rezaul Islam said police had been deployed to the area on Thursday night after the killing of the youth. They said only four police officers remained there on Friday morning, as the situation was assumed to be normal and because there was a shortage of forces at the police station.
The police officials confirmed that the mob attack took place after a rumor spread in the area that another injured youth had died from his wounds.