Hindus find victims list incomplete [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Hindus find victims list incomplete

Local November 08, 2016

Hindus at Nasiranagar upazila in Brahmanbaria found that the list of victims of the attacks on the religious minority people there on October 30, prepared by the local administration, was incomplete and termed the financial assistance provided to them on Monday insufficient.
Nasirnagar police on Sunday night arrested 21 more people taking to 74 the number of people arrested so far on suspicion of involvement in the attacks on Hindus, said Nasirnagar police station officer-in-charge Abu Zafar.
He said that the Brahamanbaria Chief Judicial Magistrates’ Court on Monday remanded eight of 11 people, arrested immediately after the attacks on October 30, in police custody for three days for interrogation.
Chief judicial magistrate Sultan Sohag Uddin passed the order after hearing police prayers for remanding the eight in custody, said court inspector Mahbubur Rahman.
Investigation officer of the case Sadhan Kanti Chowdhury said that they
would petition the court for remanding all of the arrested people in phases.
Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Monday said that he would visit the affected area today and all who would be found involved in the attacks would be punished.
Brahmanbaria district administration on Monday distributed two bundles of corrugated iron sheets and Tk 6,000 to each of 23 families and three bundles of corrugated iron sheets and Tk 9,000 to each of 12 families of Nasirnagar upazila town in compensation.
Victims, Nasirnagar Hindu, Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad president Adesh Chandra Deb and upazila Puja Udjapan Parishad president Kajal Jyoti Dutta said that the compensations were not ‘enough’ for the damages.
About 200 houses and business establishments and 22 temples of Hindus were vandalised and robbed during the attacks by activists of the ruling Awami League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Hefazat-e-Islam as well as goons from outlying villages, who joined two rallies at Nasirnagar on October 30, local people and victims alleged.
The attacks came following two rallies organised by Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat in Nasirnagar college intersection and Towhidi Janata of qoumi group backed by Hefajat-e-Islam at Ashutosh Pilot High School for punishment of Hindu young fisherman Rasraj Das for allegedly sharing a doctored photo showing an idol set on the Kaaba on his Facebook wall on October 28.
According to an assessment made by Nasirnagar upazila administration, the attacks damaged 17 temples and 52 houses and business establishments causing financial loss of Tk 71 lakh.
Seventeen community and family temples incurred a loss of Tk 44.40 lakh while 52 houses and business establishments incurred a loss of Tk 19.06 lakh, according to the assessment.
The attackers damaged houses, looted gold ornaments, vandalised electronics, furniture, sewing machines, crockery and cutleries, set fire to fishnets, took away rice and others, the upazila administration showed.
The local administration on November 1, handed over Tk 10,000 to each of three community temples and over Tk 5,000 for each of 11 family temples
Adesh Chandra Deb also said that list of victims prepared by the administration was incomplete and claimed that over 200 houses of 110-120 families were damaged in the October 30 attacks.
Nasirnagar upazila project implementation officer Mohidul Islam said that district administration handed over corrugated iron sheets and cash to 35 families.
Mohidul said that 16 more families would get compensation on Wednesday.
‘We have updated the list of victims after latest round of the continued attacks and now 73 are on the list,’ he added.
He said that the list was prepared and updated after visiting the affected areas.
Adesh, however, said that he did not know if the administration talked to Hindu people before preparing the list.
Victims Subrata Chowdhury and Prattay Sutradhar said that the financial assistance provided by the administration was insufficient.
Both the families get three bundles of corrugated iron sheets and Tk 9,000 each. According to upazila administration assessment, Subrata Chowdhury’s family incurred a loss of Tk 5.50 lakh and Prattay’s family incurred a loss of Tk 2 lakh.
Asked about the allegations of insufficient assistance, Mohidul evaded any direct answer saying that he would consult high ups in the administration.
He said that they identified 14 community and family temples that were damaged by the attackers and all the temples were given financial assistance on Tuesday.