11 including Jubo Dal, Jamaat leaders arrested over attacks on Noakhali temples

Members of the detective branch (DB) of police arrested 11 people, including the leaders of district Jubo Dal, Swecchasebak Dal and Jamaat-e-Islami, on charge of instigating the communal violence in Begumganj of Noakhali.

District police superintendent (SP) Md Shahidul Islam came up with this disclosure in a press conference on Monday at 11:30am.

He said 11 people have been arrested conducting drives in Noakhali sadar, Begumganj, Chatkhil and Shenbagh in last 24 hours.

District Jubo Dal organising secretary Md Raihan, 38, district Swecchasebak Dal joint convener Faisal Imam,39, former Jamaat-e-Islami backed chairman Harun Ar Rashid, 48, East Charamtua union BNP joint convener Faisal Bari Chowdhury,45, and the member secretary Belayet Hossain,26, of the same union are among the arrestees.

Shahidul Islam said Swecchasebak Dal leader Faisal Imam has been identified as one of the masterminds of this violence. Faisal posted several statuses on Facebook after the incident of Holy Quran desecration in a puja mandap of Cumilla. Apart from this, Faisal was present while carrying out the violence in Noakhali’s Chowmuhani.

In primary interrogation, he provided information about some other suspects of this incident. "We are trying to arrest them," the SP added.

District BNP general secretary Abdur Rahman alleged that police are conducting drives at the homes of BNP leaders instead of arresting main culprits to intimidate BNP politically.

However, police said all people, who were detained and arrested so far, have been accused of different charges. Police are conducting drives to arrest the accused upon specific information.

SP Shahidul claimed Harun Ar Rashid has been arrested on several charges including holding anti-government secret meeting and delivering instigative remarks for ousting government.

The process of suing Faisal under the Digital Security Act (DSA) is underway. On the other hand, 10 others including Harun Ar Rashid were shown arrested in different cases filed for attacking and vandalising Hindu temples.

Meanwhile, police will produce Faisal before the court for giving confessional statements under section 164.

According to the office of police superintendent, 11 cases have been lodged over attacking different temples and puja mandaps in Begumganj of Noakhali. So far, 135 people—64 accused and 71 suspected—have been arrested in these cases.