Comilla, Nov 02 – Miscreants torched seven houses belonging to the Hindu community in Korbanpur of Muradnagar in Cumilla on Sunday afternoon as they allegedly hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims on Facebook.
Officer-in-Charge of Bangora Bazar Police Station Kamruzzaman said seven houses have been torched.
The situation has been brought under control, he said.
Police arrested two members of the Hindu community as they allegedly supported the publication of satirical cartoons of Prophet Mohammad on Facebook.
The arrestees were identified as Shankar Debnath and Anik Bhowmik.
Before that Dhan Mia, a resident of Korbanpur, filed a case against them under Digital Security Act.
Witnesses said locals brought out a procession after a rumour spread in the afternoon of support from residents of Korbanpur for the satirical cartoons of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) published in France.
Purbadhair UP Chairman Banaj Kumar Shib said “I’m mentally devastated, miscreants have torched my and Shanker’s house. I can’t say anything further.”
Superintendent of Cumilla Police Syed Nazrul Islam said he was on his way to visit the spot.
Muslim communities around the world are up in arms after French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to fight “Islamist separatism”, which he said, was threatening to take control in some Muslim communities around France.
His comments, in addition to his backing of satirical outlets publishing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, has led to a social media campaign calling for the boycott of French products from supermarkets in Arab countries and Turkey.
On Friday, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned what it said was France’s continued attacks against Muslims by insulting religious symbols.
Meanwhile, on Oct 26, a rabid and belligerent mob beat a young man to death and burned his body in Lalmonirhat’s Patgram upazila accusing him of ‘desecrating the Quran’. No evidence has been found to indicate any such desecration occurred. – UNB
