BANGLADESH, January 10, 2014 (The Daily Star): Hindus across the country are still living in fear as alleged BNP-Jamaat men unleashed fresh attacks in five districts, burning homes, temples, and vandaliZing murthis on Wednesday night and yesterday. Minorities continue to receive threats as well. Mizanur Rahman, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, said the government had failed to protect Hindus and urged it to rehabilitate the affected.
At least 19 BNP-Jamaat men were arrested yesterday, 14 in Dinajpur, three in Bagerhat and two in Mymensingh. Apart from them, 774 reportedly BNP-Jamaat men were sued in Rangpur in connection with atrocities on Hindus.
On Wednesday night, criminals set fire to two temples in two villages of Bagerhat and two more at Kathom in Nandigram of Bogra. Panic gripped the Hindus of Ramchandrapur in Morrelganj, Bagerhat, and in Nandigram, Bogra, when criminals vandalized several murthis of Hindu gods before setting two temples on fire Wednesday night.
Law enforcers, including army and Rab personnel, visited the spot in Bagerhat yesterday morning and picked up three people for interrogation. Police arrested two pro-BNP Jubo Dal activists while they were attempting to torch a temple at Kanihari in Trishal of Mymensingh yesterday morning. Locals had foiled their attempt to torch a temple, said Firoj Talukder, officer-in-charge of Trishal Police Station.