Attack on Hindu Homes in Rangpur, Bangladesh, Allegedly Over Religious Insult: What’s Known

Melbourne, July 29 — In the northern district of Rangpur, Bangladesh, in the Gungachhara Upazila’s Betgari Union, allegations have been made against a teenager for insulting Prophet Muhammad in a Facebook post. Following this, a mob allegedly attacked and looted the homes of Hindu residents in the village.

The teenager is a student at a local private educational institution. After his arrest, he was sent to jail through court proceedings. The authorities have confirmed that a case has been filed against him under the Cyber Security Act.

According to the Upazila Executive Officer Mahmud Hasan Khan, after the incident, where some homes were attacked following instigation through a loudspeaker, the army and police have taken position at the site.

The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gungachhara police, Mohammad Al Emran, stated that the situation has largely returned to normal as of Monday.

However, locals claim that after the attacks and looting, the Hindu community in the area is living in fear.

Nearby Kishoreganj Upazila, located in the Nilphamari district, has also been involved, with a group of people marching and attacking the area. Local authorities and residents have confirmed this.

The Amir of the local Union Jamaat-e-Islami claims that the general public, enraged by the incident, launched the attacks, and initially, the police were unable to control them.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Shahidul Islam, the President of the Union BNP, stated that despite police action, a group of people instigated further violence in the area, leading to attacks on some homes.

What is known about the incident:

The Upazila Executive Officer mentioned that the issue first came to light when a local individual allegedly posted a derogatory comment about the Prophet Muhammad on Facebook, which came to the attention of the police.

“When the matter was brought to our notice the day before yesterday, the OC informed me. On the same day, the accused was taken into police custody. Even then, a group of people protested late into the night. We managed to control the situation through discussions. But on Sunday, around 2-3 thousand people attacked the area and around 15 homes were vandalized,” the Executive Officer told BBC Bangla.

Several journalists who visited the area reported that the Facebook post allegedly insulting the Prophet was not from a verified page, and it’s still unclear whether the teenager actually posted it. However, it is certain that loudspeakers were used to gather people and incite violence, and it was a group from the neighboring Upazila who led the protest.

The police and army personnel are currently stationed there.

A local resident, Dilip Roy, told BBC Bangla that the teenager denied the accusations. “The boy denies the allegations, but for his safety, we handed him over to the police. Despite that, a group of curious individuals gathered, marched, and attacked our homes. Around 15-16 houses were vandalized and looted,” said Mr. Roy.

However, the Officer-in-Charge, Mohammad Al Emran, stated that after obtaining preliminary evidence of the teenager posting offensive content about the Prophet, he was arrested. No further incidents of violence have occurred since the army arrived on Sunday, according to him. Police and army personnel continue to maintain their presence in the area.

Mr. Roy further explained, “The administration stopped the attackers. We didn’t resist or protest to avoid further violence. But the situation is still tense. We are living in fear.”

Residents report that the area where the incident occurred is a Hindu-majority area, with more than 2,500 Hindu voters in the latest electoral roll.

Another resident, Arvind Roy, said, “We’ve heard preparations are being made for another march, but there’s a strong presence of the army. Hindus from other areas are also coming here, and the police are present.”

He mentioned that the attackers not only targeted homes but also destroyed nearby sugarcane fields.

According to the administration and locals, after the teenager was taken into police custody on Saturday night, a group of angry people marched towards his house, demanding justice. Later that night, another march led to an attack on the house of one of the teenager’s relatives.

The police and administrative officers reached the site quickly and spoke to locals to bring the situation under control.

By Sunday afternoon, authorities learned that several thousand people were preparing to march toward the area, and the army was alerted. Around 3 PM, a group of attackers arrived, starting to loot and vandalize homes. Some police officers were injured during this time, according to the Upazila Executive Officer. The situation calmed down after the army intervened.

As of the latest reports, police and army personnel continue to secure the area.

Local Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Shah Alam confirmed that there had been attempts to incite violence for 2-3 days prior to the attacks. “These people are ordinary folks. We tried to calm them down. But by that time, thousands had gathered. Some houses were attacked, but now the situation has returned to normal. I hope there will be no more unpleasant incidents,” he told BBC Bangla.

Shahidul Islam of the BNP noted, “The boy accused of insulting religion was arrested immediately. Despite that, a group instigated further attacks and vandalism in the Hindu locality.”

He added, “Even after the army withdrew on Sunday afternoon, some individuals continued the attacks. We had warned the authorities beforehand. Now, the police and army are present, and we hope the situation will stabilize.”

Current Status:

District Administrator Mohammad Robiul Faisal visited the site on Monday. He confirmed that 19 out of 22 affected families are staying in their homes, while 3 families, including the accused Ranjan Kumar Roy and his relatives, have taken refuge in a nearby village.

The local and district administration has already begun repairs to the damaged homes.

He assured the affected families that the authorities would be standing by them.

As of now, the law and order situation is under control, with the police and army deployed for security.

Rangpur’s Police Superintendent Mohammad Abu Saim confirmed that 12 homes were damaged in the attacks, with 22 families living in those houses. He stated that after Ranjan’s arrest, his father, grandfather, and uncle’s family fled their homes, while the male members of the other 19 families remained in their houses. Some women from the affected families, whose homes were destroyed, left for other places with their belongings.

Local leaders are working with the police and administration to restore communal harmony in the area.

Once the repairs to the damaged homes are completed, the affected families, including the women, are expected to return to their homes.

The authorities have initiated the process of identifying those responsible for the violence and will take legal action against everyone involved.