The Police have arrested 10 people in connection with the vandalism of a temple, a shop belonging to a Hindu community member and a house in Shiali village of Rupsha upazila in Khulna district.
They were arrested from different villages of Rupsar Ghatbhog Union on Saturday night (August 7th), Rupsha police said. Rupsha Police Station OC Mosharraf Hossain said 10 people had been arrested in an overnight operation after a case was filed on Saturday (August 7th) night.
Of the 10 arrested, 9 are accused. Another man was arrested as a suspect in the case on Sunday. The arrested persons are Shariful Islam and Samrat Mollah of Chandpur village of Ghatbhog union, Manjurul Alam of Shiali village, Shariful Islam Sheikh, Rana Sheikh of Bamandanga village, Akram Fakir, Sohel Sheikh, Shamim Sheikh and Jamil of Burigangni village of Mollahat upazila.
Besides, a man named Mominul Islam of Bamandanga village has been arrested in the case.
Imam Nazim Samaddar of Shiali Paschimpara Jame Mosque was made the main accused in the case, Masum Mallick the second accused and Liton Mallick the third accused. Police have not yet arrested them.
Khulna districts Additional Superintendent of Police Sushant Sarkar said the police operation was continuing.
The other accused in the case will be arrested shortly. Police are working with the locals.
Shaktipada Basu, president of Rupsha Upazila Puja Udjapan Parishad, has named 25 people and filed a case against 200 unidentified persons.
Visiting the spot, it was seen that the situation in Shiyali village had been tense since Sunday morning. Police and RAB(Rapid Action Battalion) have been patrolling the area since morning. Additional police are still deployed in the area.
Visiting Shiali village on Sunday morning, it was seen that the people of the village were holding a silent protest on both sides of the main road of the village.
Sunday(August 8th) In the morning, leaders of Khulna District Awami League, Rupsha Upazila Awami League, Khulna Metropolitan and District Worship Celebration Parishad, Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Parishad visited the area.
At that time the people of the village expressed their anger to the leaders.
Shivpad Dhar of Shiyali village told to the media that 50/60 people attacked his house before they realized anything in the afternoon. At first they searched for his name. At this time he fled from the back of the house and took shelter inside the bill. His elderly mother, wife and two children were at home. In front of them, various items of the house were vandalized. Inside the house, his father's monument was smashed. Toilets, chairs and tables did not leave anything out.
Rupsha Upazila President of Puja Udjapan Parishad Shaktipada Basu said, "We are now satisfied with the role of the police." We demand the arrest and exemplary punishment of the remaining accused within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, it is mentioned in the case statement that on August 6(Friday) at 8:30 pm, 15-20 Hindus from Shiyali Purbapara were going to Shiyali Mahashasan from Shiyali village to play drums and sing Harikirtan. When Shiali reached the road in front of Paschimpara Jame Mosque, Imam Nazim Samaddar, who was in the mosque for Esha prayers, came out of the mosque and said that now is the time for prayers. He forbade singing Harikirtan. Then the rhetoric begins.
A meeting was scheduled to be held at the police station on Saturday(7th August). But on Saturday afternoon at around 05:45 pm, more than a hundred miscreants attacked the village with weapons. During this time 4 temples, 6 shops and a house belonging to the Hindu community were vandalized.
Upon receiving the news, the police of Rupsha police station and Shiyali camp went to the spot and brought the situation under control. At around 6:30 pm on Saturday (August 7th), agitated worshipers attacked and vandalized the houses of the Hindu community.
Meanwhile, Rupsha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rubaiya Tasnim said the vandalized temple and crematorium would be repaired. He said the upazila administration will start repair work soon.
