HATHAZARI, BANGLADESH, February 12, 2012 (Times of Assam): What happened with Hindu minorities at Hathazari in Bangladesh is not only a matter of grave concern but also clearly shows the rise of religious fanatics in the country, which upheld the sentiment of religious harmony for centuries. The incident in brief is some miscreants spread rumor in the locality on Thursday (February 9, 2012) stating a mosque had been attacked by the local Hindus. Immediately some religious extremists in the locality put seize on the Chittagong-Rangamati highways and continued to chant slogans against Hindus. The Muslim agitators alleged that a mosque in the locality was hurdled with brick bats from a procession of the Loknath Sebashram. The blockaders demanded arrest of those linked with “hurtling brick bats” on the mosque.
According to the local people, Hindus in the area took out a procession to celebrate the founding anniversary of Loknath Sebasram in the morning of the day of the incident. They used loudspeakers and drums in the procession to cheer the celebration. When the procession was passing through a local mosque, Muslims in the mosque forbade them to drums. At one stage, someone hurled a brick bat on the procession. This resulted in chase and counter-chase between the Muslims and Hindus. At one stage, the confronting situation was eased through the intervention of some local leaders and both parties sat for peaceful discussion to reconcile the entire situation. While such meeting was continuing, a group of fanatic Muslims attacked the temple, smashed deities and damaged a number of vehicles of the devotees in the temple. It was later learnt that an announcement to ‘give proper response’ to Hindus for playing loudspeakers and drums in front of the mosque were announced from a local madrassa, which actually instigated some unruly Muslim fanatics in committing such heinous crime on the religious minority. Vandalizing of temples as well as looting of business establishments and shops of the Hindus minorities continued for hours, before the local law enforcing agencies rushed on the spot to stop such notoriety. It is reported that more than 50 Hindu residences also came under attack of the Muslim fanatics. During this vandalism, a number of Hindus temples namely Sri Sri Jagadeshwari Ma Temple and Jagannath Bigroho Temple at Nandirhat, Raksha Kali Temple, Jalakumari Bari Temple, and Sita Kalibari Temple at Sadar Upazila. Attackers also set fire at the Sri Sri Jagadeshwari Ma Temple.
Taking advantage of such confronting situation, some vested interest groups started giving instigations to spreading the religious riot in a greater area. Sensing such severe consequences, local authorities and police imposed Section 144 banning all forms of rallies, demonstrations and gathering of more than 4 people in a group. Police have filed two separate cases accusing more than 800 unnamed miscreants over the vandalism and arson attack on several Hindu temples as well as blockade of the Chittagong-Rangamati highways. Police sources said, one case was lodged under the Explosives Act over the vandalism and arson while the second one was lodged for barricading the highway and attacking members of the law enforcing agencies.