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Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the Hindu community, ended on Friday with the immersion of idols across the country amid sporadic clashes in Dhaka and tension in Chattogram and Noakhali following a wave of communal unrest.
Protesting the vandalism of the entrance to a puja mandap and seeking security, the Hindu community leaders in Chattogram announced a half-day strike for today in the metropolitan area and also refused to immerse idols for the lack of safety.
The tension erupted on Wednesday following an alleged desecration of the Holy Quran in Cumilla.
On the day, a video went viral on the social media, including Facebook and YouTube, showing the sacrilege of the Holy Quran in a temple in Cumilla’s Nanuadighi.
Puja committee leaders said they had started immersing idols at 4pm in Dhaka and other districts according to the direction of the security forces.
Durga puja was organised in more than 230 locations in the capital this year.
Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, told The Business Post the Hindu people living in Chattogram metropolitan area were in fear of further attacks.
He said instead of ensuring security, the local administrations and political leaders in districts were creating pressure on the Hindus to minimise their religious events.
“We will not immerse our idols in Chattogram metropolitan area today,” he said.
He called a press conference for today to give further updates and a summary of the damage.
In Chattogram, a mob of nearly 100 people attacked a temple near Andarkilla Shahi Jame Mosque after Friday’s Jummah prayers.
Police and witnesses said groups of mobs in Dhaka had clashed with police in Paltan, Kakrail, and Gulistan soon after Jummah prayers, leaving three police officials and 10 others injured.
Witnesses said a huge contingent of police was deployed in different important locations, including Baitul Mukarram mosque, to avoid any untoward incident.
But a procession brought out from the mosque under the banner of Malibagh Muslim Juba Samaj clashed with police repeatedly.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Sajjad Hossain said three protesters had been detained from Kakrail.
He said protesters had pelted stones at police while the latter had fired tear gas shells to quell the protest.
To avoid further untoward incidents, the government on Thursday deployed Border Guard Bangladesh members in 22 districts.
Four people were killed and over 250 sustained injuries in clashes across the country in two days following the Cumilla incident.
Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury visited the temple in Nanuadighi on Friday and told reporters the government was responsible for ensuring citizens’ security.
That is why the failure also belonged to the government, he said.
