Perpetrators will be identified, punished: home minister [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Perpetrators will be identified, punished: home minister

Local November 09, 2016

The home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan, said on Tuesday that the perpetrators of the attacks on Hindus at Nasirnagar in Brahmanbaria will be identified and none of them would be spared.
At a rally organised by the district police at Ashutosh Pilot High School at Nasirnagar upazila town, the home minister and top police officials also assured that no innocent people would be harassed in connection with the attacks on Hindus at the upazila.
Fisheries and livestock minister Sayedul Hoque, also the local lawmaker, however, once again came down heavily on media accusing them of making a mountain out of a molehill over the Nasirnagar incidents.
Local leaders of the ruling Awami League at the rally held people of Madhabpur of Habiganj and Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jammat-e-Islami activists responsible for the attacks on Hindus at Nasirnagar on October 30.
Two top police officials admitted that the police failed to ensure security of Hindus during the attacks.
The district police claimed Tuesday’s rally was an all-party meeting, but leaders of no party but AL spoke there.
About 200 houses and business establishments and 22 temples of Hindus were vandalised and robbed during the attacks by activists of AL, BNP, Jamaat andHefazat-e-Islam as well as goons from outlying villages.
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.
Addressing the rally on Tuesday home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said, ‘I am stunned by the attacks…Detectives are working on it and they will resolve the mystery behind the attacks.’
He assured the Hindus that the perpetrator would be brought to justice.
‘It might take a little time but I assure you the attackers will be punished…We do not believe in dramas like Geroge Mia episode [in August 21, 2004 grenade attack on AL rally],’ said Asaduzzaman who visited the area after nine days of the attacks.
‘We only arrest people against whom we have gathered evidence,’ he added.
The home minister also said that the constitution allowed no attack on others’ belief. ‘Do not hurt others’ belief…Legal actions were taken in the past and will be taken in future for hurting others’ belief,’ he said.
Sayedul Hoque again accused media of making a mountain out of a molehill over the attacks. ‘They always carry negative reports,’ he said.
‘They have made it an international issue to malign Sheikh Hasina as she has become the leader of the third world,’ said Sayedul.
He said that none from Nasirnagar attacked Hindus. ‘Fourteen truckload of people wearing shorts, who came from Madhabpur [a neighboring upazila of Nasiranagar], carried out the attacks,’ he claimed.
Brahmanbaria AL general secretary Al Mamun Sarkar echoed Sayedul blaming Madhabpur people for the attacks and added that BNP and Jamaat activists of the area and other places attacked Hindus.
Inspector general of police AKM Shahidul Hoque, additional inspector general, (Special Branch) Mohammad Javed Patwary, Rapid Action Battalion director general Benazir Ahmed and Chittagong range deputy inspector general of police Shafikul Islam assured that no innocent people would be harassed in connection with cases filed for the attacks.
They gave the assurance amid growing fear of arrest among Muslims specially youths. Local people said that Muslim youths went into hiding as the law enforcers were raiding places to arrest suspects in the attacks.
Mohammad Javed Patwary and Shafikul Islam admitted that police failed to provide enough security to the Hindu people on October 30.
Asaduzzaman Khan on November 3 and Sayedul on November 6, however, claimed that there was no negligence of law enforcers and administration.
Brahamanbaria chief judicial magistrate Sultan Sohag Uddin on Tuesday remanded six suspects in police custody for three days for interrogation and rejected Rasraj’s petition for bail and police petition for reamdning him in police custody, said court inspector Mahbubur Rahman.