Prothom Alo
General secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Christian Buddha Oikya Parishad, Rana Dasgupta, has demanded that the actual planners behind placing a copy of the Holy Quran at the puja mandap in Cumilla must be identified.
Rana Dasgupta made this demand at his home in Chattogram Thursday afternoon during a meeting with the local member of parliament and deputy minister for education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury. Replying to a question of newspersons, Rana Dasgupta said the word ‘vagrant’ has been placed before the name of Iqbal Hossain, the man arrested or identified in the Cumilla incident. Often when such persons are caught, they are termed as ‘mad’ or ‘vagrants’.
Questioning this statement of the police, Rana Dasgupta asked how did this vagrant know about the Holy Quran? If he is actually a vagrant, a person off the street, where did he get a new copy of the book, who gave it to him? And the manner in which the Holy Quran was carefully placed before Hanuman, can hardly be the work of a vagrant. This was planned. There are conspirators behind this. It is the responsibility of the state, the administration and the government to find this out.
How did this vagrant know about the Holy Quran? If he is actually a vagrant, a person off the street, where did he get a new copy of the book, who gave it to him? And the manner in which the Holy Quran was carefully placed before Hanuman, can hardly be the work of a vagrant. This was planned. There are conspirators behind this. It is the responsibility of the state, the administration and the government to find this out
A copy of the Holy Quran was spotted at the temporary puja mandap set up by the Darpan Sangha at the northern end of Nanua Dighi of Cumilla town on 13 October, the ‘maha ashtomi’ day of the Durga Puja festival. A group of people then launched an attack on the puja mandap, saying that the Quran Sharif had been desecrated. As fallout of this incident, on the same day Hindus were attacked in Hajiganj, Chandpur. The attackers and the police clashed and four persons were killed. The next day Hindu temples, mandaps and businesses were attacked and damaged in Begumganj, Noakhali. Two persons were killed in the violence. After that, Hindu homesteads in Pirganj were damaged, set on fire and looted. Attacks were launched on Hindu temples, mandaps and other establishments in other places of the country.
Cumilla police on Wednesday said, Iqbal, 35, a local resident, took the Holy Quran from a mosque at midnight and placed this to the mandap. They confirmed about Iqbal after scrutising CCTV footage. Describing Iqbal Hossain as vagabond, police said they could not ascertain whether Iqbal was involved in any politics.
In the wake of communal violence across the country, deputy education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury held an exclusive meeting with Hindu-Budha-Christian Oikya Parishad general secretary Rana Dasgupta. The meeting was held at Rana Dasgupta’s house at Dewanji Pukurpara of Chattogram city on Thursday.
Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the expert teams do not think that he did it without instruction or instigation by someone. All-out efforts are being made to arrest him and everything will be cleared if he is arrested, the minister said.
About the meeting with the deputy education minister, Rana Dasgupta said, “Deputy education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury came to me. I have conveyed the sufferings and concerns of the minority people who have been victims of communal violence. We have discussed what should be done. We have discussed how Muslims and Hindus can live together peacefully in future.”
Rana Dasgupta said members of the minority community have been enraged due to the communal violence.
He said, “This would not be good if this anger continues. What is the way out? The state, the political parties and the government have to find out ways. I have requested the deputy minister to apprise the prime minister of our discussion.”
Rana Dasgupta said, “I told the minister that the administration and the political parties were negligent. The political leaders and activists were not seen besides the the law enforcing agencies. It is not possible for the police force alone to prevent the communal attack unless the people stand by them.”
He said Hindu-Budha-Christian Oikya Parishad would observe mass hunger strike on Saturday demanding quick implementation of zero tolerance against the communal violence . The deputy minister has been invited to join it, and he accepted the invitation, he added.
The deputy minister said, “I had a lengthy discussion with my ‘chacha’ (uncle), the respected Rana Dasgupta for long. I have heard his concerns and observation. Social and cultural movements have been discussed and this is very important.”
Muhibul Hasan Chowdhury said prime minister Sheikh Hasina has given directives to hold rallies and meetings against communal violence. The party and its associate bodies have taken to the streets.
Awami League leader Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury said, “Many incidents have occurred not just in Chattogram, but in Cumilla, Noakhali, Rangpur and various other areas. The government is hundred per cent active about all this. In no way has there been any laxness. Arrests have been made in earlier incidents too. No one should be scared into thinking that the situation may deteriorate further over here. We have resisted such incidents and will do so in the future as well. The honourable prime minister has delivered a message of peace and harmony all over.”
Replying to a question, he said, “Being angered is nothing unnatural, it is only natural to be angered at such an incident. We are also angry at the communal forces that have carried out this incident. Our party is angry too and it is only natural to be angry. We are holding a public gathering for harmony in this regard.”