Investigation into most of the cases filed over attack on temples and Puja mandaps of the Hindu community in three districts centering alleged desecration of the Quran at a Puja mandap in Cumilla has not yet finished nine months after the incidents.
The attacks were carried out in Cumilla, Noakhali and Chandpur districts.
A total of 51 cases were filed accusing 439 identified and 5,700 unidentified persons.
Chargesheets were issued in only three of the cases in Noakhali while investigation into remaining 48 cases has not finished yet.
Most of the accused persons in these cases are on bail now. The disgruntled people of the Hindu community want trial process begin in these cases before the next Durga Puja.
Apart from cases, local administrations and police formed five probe bodies over the incident which submitted their reports. But the members of the probe body did not want to make any comment on their findings for sake of investigation.
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council’s general secretary Rana Dasgupta told Prothom Alo the cases are filed only to placate the victims and the accused persons are being given assurance that these cases would in no way harm them. As a result, the perpetrators are being released hastily.
Rana Dasgupta said the home ministry lacks sincere initiative in this regard as their actions after the incidents are only eyewash.
The said communal forces have deep roots in administration and police force adding that nothing effective can be done for them.
Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, however, told Prothom Alo, “We are taking immediate action in such cases. We’ve taken steps upon investigation. Cases were filed and charges were framed in some and some are in trial stage.”
A piece of holy Quran was recovered from a Puja mandap in Cumilla city’s Nanua Dighirpar on 13 October morning. Four temples and seven mandaps were vandalised and torched in Cumilla on the very day. At least 30 people were injured and one of them later succumbed to his injuries. Idols were vandalized in the district’s Sadar Dakkhin, Debidwar and Daudkandi upazilas. Nine cases were filed over these incidents.
Police said 700 unidentified persons and 92 identified persons including three Jamaat-backed current and former councilors of Cumilla City Corporation and some BNP activists. Police arrested over a hundred accused including prime accused Iqbal Hossain. Three former and current councilors of Jamaat are also behind the bars.
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council Cumilla district unit’s president Chandan Roy said, “There has been no trial over the incidents of attack, vandalism and arson in Cumilla temples in nine months. The ruling party has not implemented its electoral pledges. Enacting minority safety act and forming of National Minority Council would decrease the repression on minorities.”
He said the government should immediately bring the culprits to book.
Superintendent of district police Faruque Ahmed said different organisations of the law enforcers are investigating the cases.
Charges pressed in three cases in Noakhali
Detective Branch of Noakhali police has submitted chargesheets in three cases out of 32 filed in the district over vandalism in temples and mandaps. Only three persons were charged in these three cases. The remaining 29 cases are still under investigation. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has said they will submit probe reports of three cases to the court soon.
CID and Police Bureau of Investigation are investigating 11 cases each, DB is investigating five cases, Hatia police station three cases, Begumganj police and Companiganj police one case each.
Police and other law enforcement bodies have already arrested 230 accused in these cases. The district jail authorities said almost all the arrestees have come out of jail securing bail from High Court.
Several thousand people brought out a procession at Chowmuhani area of Noakhali’s Begumganj on 15 October. At one point they started vandalising shops owned by Hindu people, their temples and houses at DB road area. Two persons named Jatan Saha, 42, and Pranta Chandra Das, 26, were killed in the attack.
Md Basir Ahmed, special police super of CID in Noakhali, told Prothom Alo that they have got a nod from higher authorities to submit the chargesheets in three cases out 11 they are investigating. Investigation is going on in the remaining eight cases.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council Noakhali district unit’s general secretary Pappu Saha said the damaged temples and mandaps are yet to be fully reconstructed.
He said the district administration gave Taka 50 thousand and five metric tons of rice for reconstruction of only the damaged temples that were permanent.
Deputy commissioner Dewan Mahbubur Rahman confirmed they received a fund for damaged temples, mandaps and victims recently.
The cheques would be handed over to them soon, the DC added.
79 in jail in Chandpur
No chargesheet were submitted in 10 cases filed over vandalism in Chandpur’s Hajiganj. CID and PBI are investigating three cases each while police and DB police are investigating two cases each, said additional police superintendent of Hajiganj circle and prosecutor Ranjit Roy Chowdhury said.
Police said a total of 117 accused were arrested in those cases. 38 of them are on bail while remaining 79 are in jail.
Two probe committees of district administration and police have submitted probe report but they declined to comment anything on it.
On 13 October, some temples and mandaps were vendalised by a mob in Hajiganj pourashava area. Three people died on spot and two in hospitals later as police fired bullets to disperse the mob.
[Gaziul Haque, from Cumilla; Mahbubur Rahman from Noakhali and Alam Palash from Chanpur contributed to this report]