New Delhi: After an attack on Hindus at a Brampton temple in Canada, Hindus in Bangladesh were also targeted. As a result, violence has begun to rise again in Bangladesh. Army-led joint forces were patrolling parts of Chittagong, a port city in southeastern Bangladesh, on Wednesday, sources said. The day before, a Muslim grocery store owner posted a Facebook post against ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), triggering a conflict that left many injured. Businessman Usman Ali described ISKCON as a “terrorist organization” on Facebook, causing tensions in the area and angering the Hindu community living in the Hazarigali area, officials and witnesses said.
Hazarigali is mainly inhabited by people from the Hindu community who own jewelery shops and wholesale medicine shops. Witnesses said there were brief clashes throughout the evening over the comment at ISKCON. During this period, the army, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) paramilitary force and the police who reached the spot launched a fierce charge, leaving many injured. Shops and commercial establishments in Hazarigali area remain closed during this period. Here, army soldiers patrol in jeeps alongside police. Lieutenant Colonel Firdous Ahmed told a news conference on Wednesday that a group of people gathered in front of Ali’s shop before joint forces arrived and detained Ali and his brother. “The angry mob hurled acid and broken glass bottles used in jewelry making from nearby buildings, injuring five military personnel and seven policemen,” he said.
Ahmed said joint forces had detained 80 suspects and were reviewing local intelligence and CCTV footage to identify the culprits and take legal action.
India outraged by repeated attacks on Hindus
The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed strong reaction to the repeated attacks on Hindus. India has urged Dhaka to take action against “extremist” elements and ensure the safety of the country’s Hindu community. Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal condemned the attack on members of the Hindu community in Chittagong. He said the tension was caused by “provocative posts” on social media. Jaiswal said that India calls on the Bangladesh government to take action against such extremists to ensure the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh.
US lawmakers ask Bangladesh government to ensure safety of Hindus
Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have also reached the United States. Indian-American lawmaker Raja Krishnamurthy has urged the U.S. State Department to work to protect the safety of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority following another attack on Hindus in Dhaka. There have been numerous incidents of destruction of properties and temples of minority Hindus in Bangladesh. Such incidents occurred during and after student-led movements in Bangladesh. The U.S. State Department on Monday briefed Krishnamurti on Bangladesh’s efforts to protect the rights of religious minorities, especially Hindus.
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