Police have detained 33 people over attacks on Hindu homes in Horkoli Thakurpara village of Rangpur in northwestern Bangladesh over an alleged anti-Islam facebook post.
At least 30 homes were torched and vandalised yesterday afternoon as a religious zeolot mob ran riot in the village staging demonstrations and blocking the Dinajpur-Rangpur highway. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to control the situation which left 1 dead and 11 including 7 policemen injured. The facebook post was allegedly made by Titu Chandra Roy, but police are investigating whether his facebook account was hacked by some one else.
The Rangpur district administration has formed a 3-member investigation team with instructions to submit the report within 7 days. Meanwhile security has been enforced in the village with deployment of several police personnel. The administration has announced compensation for the affected families.
In October last year, over 100 minority homes were torched and 5 temples were vandalised in Brahmanbaria’s Nasirnagar upazilla over the posting of an anti-Islam post. Investigations had later proved that the facebook account was hacked.
Source: AIR