A case was lodged accusing 53 individuals including three Jamaat-Shibir activists and 50 unnamed others for vandalising and looting shops, houses belonging to the local Hindu community at Ghoshpara of Jongra union in Patgram, Lalmonirhat on Thursday night.
On behalf the community, Dhanjit Ghosh Tapos lodged the case with Patgram police station, which claimed to have been conducting drives to arrest the criminals.
Meanwhile, the males from at least 23 Hindu families, who had fled their homes during the attack on Thursday morning, the last day of the opposition BNP-led alliance enforced 71-hour nationwide blockade, have started to return following the local administration’s assurance and deployment of additional police.
Police sources said activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its students’ wing, Shibir vandalised and looted five shops and two houses in the village belonging to Hindus on Thursday morning. At least 12 women and children were assaulted by the gang.
One of the villagers, Subhas Chandra Ghosh said: “We are innocent villagers, and we are not involved with any political activities and had no enmity with anyone, but we were being victimised.”
“I do not know what will happen in the future,” he said.
Another villager, Shilpi Rani Ghosh said: “We are still going through a panicky situation, as the area is full of Jamaat-Shibir activists and they always consider Hindus as enemies.”
“Jamaat-Shibir members here in the village would become more agitated, if police arrest them,” she said.
Upazila administration, police and local social elites, however, assured all kinds of support to the Hindu community, said the police.
The HRDF-in charge of Investigation Unit of Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), Abu Ahmed Faijul Kabir told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have sent urgent letters to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on Thursday, urging to arrest the culprits and take initiatives, so that males, who fled their homes can return home.”
Ain O Salish Kendra expressed its deep concern over the attack on the minority community of the village, he said adding an ASK team would visit the spot as soon as possible.