The prime accused of inciting the attacks on Hindu communities in Brahmanbaria’s Nasirnagar upazila in October last year was freed on bail Thursday.
Inspector Mahbubur Rahman of Brahmanbaria District Judge Court said that Dewan Atikur Rahman alias Ankhi, chairman of Haripur union parishad, walked out of the district jail the same evening.
The High Court on March 22 granted him interim bail for four weeks. But, his release was delayed due to confusion over the serial number of the case and its relevant issues.
Akhi, a known supporter of Brahmanbaria 3 constituency MP RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, was arrested from Dhaka’s Bhatara area on January 5. He was later put on remand several times.
The Local Government Department issued a circular suspending him as the UP chairman on January 15.
On October 30, over than 100 people were injured after a mob attacked and vandalised 17 temples and 58 houses belonging to Hindus over a Facebook post defaming Islam allegedly posted from the account of an illiterate Hindu fisherman.
Six more houses of Hindus were set afire in the upazila a few days later, followed by an attack on the house of Nasirnagar Upazila Parishad Vice-Chairman Anjan Deb and an attack on a Hindu fisherman’s house.
Nasirnagar police station’s officer-in-charge and the upazila nirbahi officer were subsequently transferred, while the ruling Awami League suspended three of its local leaders for their involvement in the attacks.
Eight cases were filed over the attacks, leading to the arrest of 122 people so far.
