Madrasah teacher ‘confesses’ to leading communal attacks in Hajiganj

Madrasah teacher Kamaluddin Abbasi has confessed to leading communal attacks at puja mandaps in Hajiganj upazila in Chandpur on 13 October, reports UNB.

Chandpur senior judicial magistrate Mohammad Kamal Uddin recorded his confessional statement on Thursday evening and sent him to jail, said police on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Abbasi was identified from CCTV footage and was later arrested from Hajiganj.

Abbasi is a lecturer of Arabic at Bholadighi Kamil Madrasah in Sharasti area and a resident of Hajiganj upazila.

Principal of the Madrasah, Delwar Hossain said Abbasi was a follower of the peer of Furfura Sharif but he has no involvement with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The detectives, however, contradict the principal and said Abbasi was an active member of Jamaat-e-Islami.

On 13 October, five people died in a clash with police when a group of miscreants attacked Hajiganj Bazar temple in protest against desecration of the holy Quran in Cumilla.

Hajiganj police station officer-in-charge Harunur Rashid told the news agency that police have filed two cases in this regard while eight complaints were lodged by the authorities of vandalised puja mandaps.

So far, 33 people, including Abbasi, have been arrested in these cases.

Around 250 named and another 2,500 anonymous people were made accused in the 10 cases, said the OC.

Local police super Milon Mahmud said those involved in the attack are being held scrutinising the CCTV footage collected from the cameras installed around the spots.