Five Hindu temples at Lalpur village in the Ahuganj upazila of Brahmanbaria were attacked on Friday at the incitement of a local Chhatra League leader.
Yusuf Murshed instigated villagers to make the attack after Debashish Das Sohel, a Hindu Chhatra League leader, posted a stanza from a Lalon song on his [Sohel’s] Facebook wall.
Sohel is the general secretary of the Lalpur Union unit of the Chhatra League. His house was attacked on Wednesday, the day he had posted the verse.
A former Chhatra League leader of the union, seeking annonimity told the Dhaka Tribune last night Sohel copied a stanza of a Lalon song from the book “Lalon Beder Gopon Khobor” and posted it on his timeline on November 4.
“Only a handful of villagers have Facebook accounts. But Yusuf, who wants to hold Sohel’s post, printed Sohel’s Facebook status and distributed it to the village people, claiming that the lines had defamed Prophet Muhammad,” he said.
“Sensing that something unpleasant was going to happen, Sohel deleted his post after a few hours and wrote some lines again offering an apology. But Yusuf’s incitement had already infuriated the villagers who attacked Sohel’s house on Wednesday afternoon. A case was lodged against him under the ICT act. The police arrested him and sent him to jail,” he added.
It was alleged that the Chhatra League committee was formed six years back and those who could not secure posts in the committee were envious of Sohel.
On Friday evening, a group of villagers held a protest march and vandalised five temples of the village.
“Yusuf’s incitement just went out of control as some people from nearby Birgaon village, the hometown of war criminal Ghulam Azam, joined in the march,” the former Chhatra League leader said.
District Police Super Md Muniruzzaman said the Loknath, Kali, Ramthakur, Doyamoy and Anukul Thakur temples were attacked. He, however, said no vandalism took place.
“The people just threw brick chips from outside, breaking some windows,” he said.
“After Sohel’s house was vandalised, additional police were deployed outside the house and an 18-member committee comprised of local influential figures from the Muslim and Hindu communities was formed to settle the issue. The attack on the temples was abrupt, and were made by teenagers and outsiders,” he added.
Muniruzzaman said some of the attackers had been identified while police had detained three Lalpur residents - Md Babul Mia, 21, Md Rasel Mia, 20, and Md Jewel Mia, 18 - for the attack.
“We learned about the rivalry between Sohel and Yusuf. We are looking into this,” he said.
Sohel’s father Pramath Das alleged that UP Chairman Murshed Master also fuelled the incident. The chairman, however, denied.
Sohel’s counsel Advocate Nasir Mia said it was still not clear whether his client had posted the stanza or someone tagged him in that.
“It should not be counted as an offence under the ICT act as no Lalon song is banned in the country. Anyone can share it without making any change. If the song was defamatory then the government would have banned it,” he explained.
“The case against Sohel is clearly a misuse of the ICT act,” he said.
Sohel is a follower of Sadhok (saint) Mohorshi Mommohon Dutt. He believes in monotheism.
“He is a modest and polite person. I do not believe he has defamed the Prophet,” said the owner of a footwear store in the village requesting anonymity.
Several traders of the village said Sohel was a victim of propaganda. They alleged that Mazharul Islam Shafi, a teacher at Flower Garden International School, Towfiq Ali and Ismail Hossain Hamidi, imam of a local mosque, were among those who led the attackers.
Officer-in-Charge of Ashuganj police station Md Abu Zafar said Sohel had defamed Prophet Muhammad and locals had marched in protest against the defamation.
“They also took part in vandalism,” he said.
Zafar also said the court would decide whether Lalon songs were defamatory or not.
