The under-construction residence of the president of Bangladesh Minority Watch (BDMW) was reportedly vandalized early on Sunday.
BDMW President Rabindra Ghosh, a well known activist working for minority rights, was on his way to Chandpur to attend a program when the attack happened.
His wife Krishna Ghosh filed a case with Kamrangichar police station on Sunday in this regard.
Seven people based in Kamrangirchar and Lalbagh areas were named as suspects in the case, on charges of vandalism, looting the property, and threatening the life of Krishna Gosh, reads the case statement.
Around 50-60 unidentified people were also made accused in the case.
Rabindra Ghosh told the Dhaka Tribune that it was around 1:10am on Sunday when his wife informed him of the attack. She said the men came on a truck.
He immediately called Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal who responded instantly and ordered the Lalbagh deputy commissioner to take action. However, the vandals lefts before police arrived.
Rabindra said the vandals looted goods worth Tk6 lakh. They also took Tk1 lakh from the construction workers and their mobile phones.
The duty officer of Kamrangirchar police station told the Dhaka Tribune that one of the accused had been arrested.
The National Human Rights Commission has condemned the attack.
NHRC Chairman Kazi Reazul Haque in a press release issued on Monday said the vandals were trying to harm the government’s image by attacking minorities.
These vandals should be tried in the court of law to ensure minority rights, he said.
Meanwhile, Rabindra said his house had been attacked because local men had been trying to extort money from him in exchange for not grabbing his land.
Rabindra said he paid the extortionists Tk10,000 a few days ago after they kept asking him for Tk2.5 lakh, but after receiving the money, their demand went up.
He also said this attack on his house might be related to his work in defending minority rights.
Friday, March 28, 2025
