Houses at a Hindu village in Lamonirhat were attacked, vandalised and
robbed and 15 Hindu people, including five women, were injured on Monday
afternoon.
The villagers said that a group of 15-18 people carried out the violence at Satpatki Majhipara, where a bunch of fishermen live.
The injured were admitted to Lalmonirhat sadar hospital, villagers said.
Police were deployed at the village following the attack.
Many Hindus, especially women and children of 125 Hindu families, fled
and took shelters at the neighbouring Muslim houses, said Lalmonirhat
sadar police station officer-in-charge Jamir Uddin.
He said that the police rushed the village and chased the attackers away.
He, however, said, that none of the attackers was arrested.
Additional superintendent of police Aslam Khan said that he initially heard names of some persons to be involved in the attack.
‘I have told Hindu community people to lodge a case. If they do not dare
to do so, we will record a case and take legal actions against the
attackers,’ he said.
The gang attacked 40 Hindu families, vandalised the houses and looted four of them, the villagers said.
Local resident Narayan Chandra Das said he believed that the violence
was committed by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activist Shawn Islam and his
gang, who, according to him, had demanded Tk 5,000 in extortion from
each of the 15 fish trading families on Sunday evening.
‘The gang members said that the money was needed to meet the expenses for the 60-hour general strike,’ he alleged.
He said that the villagers denied the demand of the gang and complained
about the matter to Bangladesh Nationalist Party Mohendranagar union
unit general secretary Abdul Mazid Mandal.
Mazid said that the local Hindus complained about the matter to him and
he had cautioned his men not to do any harm to the Hindus.’
He claimed that no BNP or Chhatra Dal man was involved in the attack.
Injured woman Sumitra Rani Roy, 65, alleged that she was assaulted by
the gang when she tried to save her son Nikhil Chandra Roy.
‘My son Nikhil was beaten up mercilessly by the attackers in my presence
at my home, but I had nothing to do but crying,’ she said.
Mohana Rani Das, 55, another resident, said, the gang looted valuables including Tk 30,000 in cash after vandalising her house.
‘Although police have been deployed, we are still scared as the gang may attack us again anytime,’ she said.