Hindu community members gather at Hatibandha border following "rumour of Indian leaders' arrival"

Several thousand people of the Hindu religious community gather at the zero line along the Indian border near Uttar Gotamari village of Hatibandha in Lalmonirhat on Friday.

At least 10 locals, speaking to Prothom Alo, confirmed that 'Indian leaders will talk near the barbed wire fence'.

However, the leaders didn't come eventually and they had to go back home.

Goashshanghat cremation grounds of Uttar Gotamari village is on the bank of Khorpo river. Barbed wire fence is 300 yards away from there. On the other side the river is Pathantali village of Sitalkuchi thana of Cooch Behar in India.

While visiting the area on Saturday and Sunday, it was seen that BSF members were on patrol there.

Locals said members of the Hindu community had started to gather at the zero line of Uttar Gotamari village on Friday morning. On information, senior officials at the administration and local representatives reached the spot, and called upon them to come back to ensure their security. But they gathered at the Khorpo river of the zero line near the barbed wire fence till Friday evening.

When some were trying to enter India, the Border Security Force (BSF) stopped them. Later, they returned home. The local administration along with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) organised a press conference in connection with the incident on Sunday.

Gotamari union parishad former chairman and upazila Jatiya Party president Abul Kashem visited the spot.

He said, "I saw a Facebook post on Thursday night. The post says you come to the Goashshanghat cremation grounds of Uttar Gotamari village and there will be a meeting."

"It seems thousands of people of the Hindu community reached there from different upazilas due to this status," he added.

Hindu community leader at Uttar Gotamari area, Sanjit, speaking to Prothom Alo, said, "I got up from bed and saw thousands of people gathered near the barbed wire of our border. I talked to them, understood that they gathered there to speak to India."

Several people gathered near the barbed wire alleged that some miscreants vandalised and torched their houses. They got news that Indian leaders would come and talk to them. So they went there. However, they could not ascertain from where they got the news."

Hatibandha upazila Hindu Budha Oikya Parishad president Aushini Kumar Basunia, speaking to Prothom Alo, said he saw some Hindu community people were going towards the India border.

He said, "I asked them, where were they going? They said BSF had called them. Later he went to the border and saw many people gathered there. When he talked to some of them, they said they would talk to BSF. He said the call of BSF is a rumour. Later I convinced them to go home."

Locals said Awami League leaders went into hiding after the fall of Sheikh Hasina. Their houses came under attack. Some of them were Hindu. To draw attention from the Indian media, some Awami League spread rumors on Facebook that the people of Hindu faith are being persecuted in Bangladesh. Many victims and other Hindus gathered at the place due to this rumour.

Shah Alam from Uttar Gotamari village said people from faraway places gathered along the border first and then crossed the river hallway to meet BSF. Many saw Facebook posts claiming that Indian leaders will come to barbed wire fences along the border at Uttar Gotamari area. But none came till the evening. There were only BSF men. Later the BGB and BSF men persuade them to return.

Gotamari union parishad’s chairman Monaberul Islam also went to the spot. He said, ‘I came to know about a gathering of people of Hindu faith around 11:00pm. Going there, I found only one or two are from our area and the remaining are from outside. Later the gathering of people increased.’

As they were asked about the reason for their gathering they said Indian people will come to talk with them, said Monaberul, adding that none could specifically tell him what they will discuss.

BGB and police men struggled to handle the crowd. Later deputy commissioner Mohammad Ullah and police superintendent Saiful Islam reached the spot to talk with the people gathered there.

‘I talked with them. None could make any specific allegation. Some were alleging that they were persecuted. We tried to assuage their fears.’