The Bangladesh home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said that the attacks on Durga Puja pavilions were ‘pre-planned’ and aimed at destroying communal harmony in the country.
His statement came after the Bangladesh police booked more than 4,000 individuals in connection with the violence that rocked the country in the last few days.
“It appears to us that it was a motivated act instigated by a vested group,” Bangladesh’s minister for home affairs Asaduzzaman Khan said on Sunday.
“Not only in Comilla, but attempts were also made to destabilize the country previously through communal violence in Ramu and Nasirnagar,” Khan was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune.
When asked about the reason behind the incident in Comilla, the minister said, “We’ll make it public once we get all the evidence and those who were involved in it will be given exemplary punishment.”
The minister further said that no incident has been reported since Saturday night.
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The Home Minister’s remarks also came after Wednesday’s communal violence that broke out in several places in Bangladesh after news broke on social media about the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran at a Durga Puja venue on the bank of Nanuar Dighi.
Several puja venues were vandalized in the area of Chandpur, Chittagong, Gazipur, Bandarban, Chapainawabganj, and Moulvibazar. The clashes resulted in several casualties, reported Dhaka Tribune.
Meanwhile, social organisations, cultural groups, eminent citizens cutting across communities have condemned the recent incidents of attack on the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh. A number of protests have taken place in the country demanding stern action against the perpetrators of violence.
In the northeastern town of Sylhet, social organisations protested against the attack on puja mandaps, vandalism of temples and attack on Hindu houses and commercial properties in the country during the Durga Puja. The speakers at the protest organised on Saturday demanded the government to ensure safety and security of the minority Hindu community.
(With inputs from ANI)