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Police fail to protect minorities
Mohammad Jamil Khan

Around 278 houses and 495 temples came under attack in 2013

  • Residents, mostly Hindus, of Malopara village in Obhoynagar, Jessore return. Jamaat-Shibir men drove them away for casting votes in the national election on January 05 
    Photo- Dhaka Tribune

Different investigation reports filed in connection with the recent attacks on minority communities have revealed that law enforcers failed to ensure proper security during the violence.

The Dhaka Tribune has received at least two different probe reports filed in two separate districts, which blamed the law enforcers for failing to provide security to the minority communities.

The role of police during the recent incidents of violence has also been questioned by rights groups and the victims themselves.

Rana Dash Gupto, general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikyo Parishad, told the Dhaka Tribune that police not only played a mysterious role in protecting the minority people, but were also found to be instigators behind the attacks.

Alleging the police of not being “serious” in filing cases or investigating the incidents, Rana also criticised the silence of both the ruling and opposition parties in taking action regarding the attacks on the minorities.

According to an annual report of human rights watchdog Ain o Salish Kendra, a total of 278 households, 208 business establishment and 495 temples and idols were attacked across the country in 2013.

Such attacks increased surrounding the January 5 parliamentary elections.

Visits to different areas in the northern districts of the country revealed discontent among the minority communities, regarding the lack of police protection.

In Nilphamari’s Ramganj village, the members of the Hindu community said they had to guard their temple with bow and arrows, in the absence of police security, as they had faced repeated attacks by Jamaat-Shibir men.

Mohammad Zubayedur Rahman, superintendent of police in Nilphamari, however told the Dhaka Tribune that there was nothing to fear from Jamaat-Shibir, adding that guarding the temple with arrows was done out of religious overzealousness. 

The fears of Nilphamari residents was echoed in the voices of other Hindus living in Patgram and several other upazilas of Lalmonirhat.

Many of the locals said most of their family members had already left the country, while others had taken shelter at different places fearing further attacks. Many more were also trying to sell their properties and go to another country, members of the minority communities in the district said.

Habibur Rahman, police superintendent of Lalmonirhat, however said they had no information regarding minority groups having to stay outside their houses. Trying to assure people that the police had the situation almost under control, Habibur said the search was on for the criminals who created violence.

A state-run intelligence agency had reportedly alerted the home ministry and police headquarters about potential attacks on the minority following the national election.

Although the police headquarters passed on the warning message to police superintendents of different districts, the absence of necessary security measures allowed attacks on the minority communities in several districts including Jessore, Dinajpur, Bogra, and Joypurhat.

In this regard, Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker said it would be illogical to claim that the police failed to provide security to the minority groups, as the law enforcers had been doing their duties properly.

However, he also said action would be taken if any irregularity was found in the police’s security response.

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