More arson attacks on Hindu homes, temples at Nasirnagar

Hindu temples and homes in Brahmanbaria’s Nasirnagar have come under fresh attack despite so-called security measures the authorities have taken up

Police said several houses were set on fire at Madhyaparha and Dakhshinparha in the Upazila town at dawn on Friday.

“The attackers fled after torching seven houses in four Hindu households. Locals put out the flames,” said Additional Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Iqbal Hossain.  

Assailants torched on Friday a Jagannath temple and a nearby Durga temple belonging to Sagar Das along with Keshab Chakraborty’s house at Shilparha that was full of firewood.

Three houses owned by Fulkishore Chakraborty of Namashudraparha and a kitchen owned by Amar Deb at Banikparha were set on fire. 

Fifteen temples and more than one hundred Hindu homes at Nasirnagar were looted and set on fire on Sunday over an alleged Facebook post insulting Islam.

The attack raised a storm of criticism against authorities and on Wednesday the officer-in-charge of Nasirnagar police was withdrawn for negligence in duties.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, however, defended the police saying ‘they did their job’ though the police were widely accused of doing nothing to prevent the attacks on minority Hindus.