Eighteen individuals have been apprehended by the police for allegedly spreading false information about the Ahmadiyya community in Panchagarh.
One of those detained on Saturday is a member of Jubo Dal, the youth wing of the BNP, media reports quoted the authorities as saying.
Panchagarh Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Abdul Latif Miah said rumours were spread at around 9pm on Saturday that members of the Ahmadiyya community had killed two people in the area.
Rumour-mongering miscreants had provoked people by visiting different places and claiming to have seen the bodies themselves, the OC said quoting locals.
Some later blocked roads, set fire to a vehicle and looted a footwear shop in the town, according to media reports.
Afterwards, the police took action by conducting raids in various areas, apprehending the 18 individuals.
The arrests were made following a clash between law enforcement and supporters of some Islamist organizations who were protesting against an Ahmadiyya community program in Panchagarh, which resulted in two fatalities and at least 30 injuries two days prior.
