Engineer admits to inciting people to attack Hindus in Bangladesh

Dhaka, January 19

A Bangladesh Government engineer has confessed in the court that he incited people to attack Hindu homes in Rangpur after rumours that a youth from minority community has published a blasphemous Facebook status, according to a media report on Friday.

A mob of around 20,000 protesters, from six to seven neighbouring villages, had gathered and set on fire at least 30 houses of Hindus in Thakurpara in Rangpur district, about 300 km from here, on November 10, the bdnews24.com reported.

One person was killed while five others were injured when police fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.

Fazlar Rahman, a resident of village Mominpur adjacent to Thakurpara, is one of the five accused who allegedly incited thousands of Muslims to attack the homes and businesses of Hindus, Gangacharha police station Sub-Inspector Mister Ali was quoted as saying in the report.

Rahman, who is a sub-assistant engineer of Rangpur District Council, had gone into hiding after the incident but was arrested from Shyamoli area here on December 21.

He was questioned by the police for 12 days before being produced before the court yesterday, the official said.

“Rahman gave a confessional statement before the Rangpur senior judicial magistrate’s court,” Ali said.

Police has named 159 people and over 2,000 unidentified ones in two cases registered in connection with the attack. — PTI