No motive, perpetrator identified in 15 days [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

No motive, perpetrator identified in 15 days

Local November 13, 2016

The police have yet to identify the motive and perpetrators of attacks on Hindus at Nasirnagar in Brahmanbaria even after 15 days of the crimes.
Suspects named by the National Human Rights Commission fact finding committee and three local Awami League leaders suspended by the ruling party on allegations of involvement in the attacks are yet be arrested.
‘Our investigations are going on and we will be able to brief about the motive in two or three days,’ Nasirnagar police station officer-in-charge Abu Jafar told New Age on Saturday.
About 200 houses and business establishments and 22 temples of the religious minority group were vandalised and robbed during the attacks on Hindus at Nasirnagar upazila town and Haripur union on October 30.
The attacks came following two rallies organised by Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and Towhidi Janata of qoumi group backed by Hefajat-e-Islam demanding punishment of Hindu young fisherman from Harineber village Rasraj Das allegedly for sharing a doctored photo showing an idol set on the Kaaba on his Facebook wall on October 28.
In further attacks, miscreants set fire to at least six houses of Hindus on November 4 and 5.
Four cases were filed with Nasirnagar police in connection with the attacks – two by two victims against 1,000-1,200 and the rest two by police against 100-150 unnamed people.
Nasirnagar Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad general secretary Sujit Kumar said that Hindu people were still in fear ‘as main plotters of the attacks’ were yet to be identified and arrested.
‘Police are arresting petty criminals,’ he said about the arrest of 78 people in connection with the attacks.
National Human Rights Commission chairman Kazi Reazul Hoque at a press conference in Dhaka on November 3 said that their fact finding committee after visiting the spots came to a decision that a quarter of conspirators instigated the attacks.
He alleged that Nasirnagar upazila AL president Rafi Uddin and general secretary ATM Maniruzzaman Sarkar instigated the attacks from the rallies.
Brahmanbaria district AL on November 4 suspended upazila AL assistant publicity secretary M Hashem, Haripur union AL president Faruk Miah and Chapartala union AL president Suraj Ali on allegation of their involvement in the attacks.
Asked why none of them were arrested, Abu Jafar said ‘We are trying to arrest them but as far I know they have gone into hiding.’
Local people said that Suraj Ali was among the instigators. At the rally organised by Towhidi Janata, Suraj asked all to ‘slaughter the Hindus,’ witnesses said.
Video footage obtained by New Age showed that Hashem led a procession that attacked Dutta Bari Mandir but a few minutes later Hashem was seen trying to prevent the mob from attack.
Local people said that Faruk Miah instigated the attacks in Haripur area.
At least five local people said a Bangladesh Nationalist Party activist, was among the attackers carrying sticks and riding a horse.
The government withdrew upazila nirbahi officer on November 6 and police officer-in-charge Abdul Kader on November 2 amidst protests for their failure to contain the attack on Hindus.