At least a couple of temples were reportedly ransacked, and numerous homes and shops belonging to Hindus were vandalized in Manglargaon, a remote village in Dowarabazar upazila of Sunamganj, following a Facebook post on Tuesday night, locals say.
Dowarabazar police station Officer-in-Charge Zahidul Haque said a 21-year-old Hindu youth, Akash Das, had posted a photo on Facebook that had apparently offended religious sentiments, according to media reports.
As protests broke out, the man had been detained for his own safety, the OC said.
The situation was brought under control after army personnel intervened, supported by local leaders and religious representatives, the OC added.
The mob also attacked the Loknath temple in the area, with valuables worth over Tk15 lakh reportedly stolen, according to Khokan Roy, general secretary of the temple in Sunamganj.
He claimed that nearly 100 homes had also been damaged, adding that several gold jewellery stores and Hindu-owned shops had been looted.
OC Zahidul said police had not received any reports of vandalism or attacks in the area due to the incident. “The village is remote, and most houses are dilapidated, with no concrete buildings.”
Sub-Inspector Arafat Ibne Shafiullah filed a case under the Cyber Security Act against the detained individual.
Akash Das was presented in court, where he was shown arrested on charges of religious insult. The court denied him bail and sent him to jail.
On Wednesday, the situation remained tense but under control, with police and military forces maintaining a strong presence in the area.
Deputy Commissioner Md Ilias Mia hinted at possible premeditation behind the attack.
He said the authorities suspected that the mob had been incited to target Hindu properties.
However, the scale of the damage was likely exaggerated, the DC said.
Meetings had been with religious leaders to maintain peace, Ilias added.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council on Thursday condemned the attack in the village, reporting damages amounting to at least Tk15 lakh.