Conflicts & War

Hundreds take to streets as sectarian violence continues in Bangladesh

Dhaka, Oct 18 (EFE).- Hundreds of Bangladeshis on Monday took to the streets of Dhaka to protest against the wave of violence against the country’s Hindu communities following an allegedly blasphemous social media post.

A group of assailants carried out arson attacks against a northern Bangladeshi village Sunday night, burning at least 20 homes belonging to minority Hindus, according to the police.

“We have so far detained 42 people in connection with the incident,” Rangpur police chief Devdas Bhattacharya told Efe.

Six people were killed and dozens were injured in sectarian clashes that were sparked by footage circulated on social media last week which showed the Muslims’ holy book Quran being placed on the knee of an idol of the Hindu god Hanuman during a religious festival in eastern Cumilla district.

Police said that four people were killed as crowds of Muslims clashed with police and vandalized several Hindu temples on Wednesday, while two Hindus died and at least 27 people, including police officers, were injured amid violence on Saturday.

Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, a platform of minority people in Bangladesh, told Efe at least 150 temples have been vandalized and torched in the last few days.

Mob violence is not uncommon in Muslim-majority Bangladesh over actions deemed to be offensive or blasphemous.

In October 2020, an angry mob beat a mentally ill person to death and burnt his body for allegedly disrespecting the Quran in Bangladesh.EFE

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