Dhaka, November 7 (Dhaka Tribune): A week has elapsed since the brutal communal attack on temples and homesteads of minority Hindus of Nasirnagar in Brahmanbaria, but no visible progress has yet been made in the investigations. While many have been arrested, the masterminds or kingpins are still at large.
Seeing no progress, the Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has asked the Bangladesh government to protect the Hindus.
Eight of the suspected attackers were put in a three-day remand on Monday.
A total of 74 people have been arrested in connection with the October 30 attacks on the Hindu community in the Upazila of Brahmanbaria.
Sub Inspector Sadhan Kanti Chowdhury, also the investigation Officer (IO) of the case, said: “Police produced eleven detainees before the court with a five-day remand plea but the court granted a three-day remand.”
Asked about the attackers seen in some videos, police said: “We are working on it and none of them are from Haripur or Chatalpar unions, from where most of the attackers were allegedly from.”
They said that they are yet to receive information about the mastermind or those who fuelled the attacks.
Police officer Abu Zafar said: “We are arresting those people who were seen at the videos. As soon as we get information about anybody who had been seen at the videos, we conduct a drive to arrest him.”
Meanwhile, the case filed over posting fake pictures that instigated people to attack Hindus was handed over to district police on November 3. Rasraj, the man who allegedly posted the blasphemous pictures is in custody.
Brahmanbaria DB OC Mofiz Uddin Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune that they would like to remand Rasraj further.
On October 30, a mob vandalized some 17 temples and ransacked 58 houses belonging to the minority Hindus of the area over an alleged defamatory Facebook post by a Hindu youth Rasraj.
More than 100 people were injured in the attack which the victims blamed on local influential people.
The ruling Awami League suspended three of its Nasirnagar unit leaders for their alleged involvement.
