37 Pirganj violence accused on 3-day remand

Thirty-seven accused arsonists among 55 arrested people in the Pirganj arson attacks, lootings and violence against the Hindu people in Pirganj were taken on three-day police remand on Thursday in Rangpur.

Investigating Officer (IO) and Officer-in-Charge (OC-Investigation) of Pirganj Thana Mahbub Rahman produced a seven-day remand plea before a court today against 38 accused persons in the arson attack, looting properties and vandalism case.

After hearing the plea, judge of the Pirganj Cognizance Court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Fazle Elahi granted remand for three days for each of 37 accused persons.

The other accused was sent to a juvenile court as he was a child.

Talking to reporters, General Register Officer (GRO) of the court Shahidur Rahman confirmed the matter of granting the three-day remand for 37 accused persons in the arson attack, lootings and vandalism and violence case of Pirganj Thana.

The 37 accused people were taken to the court around 3:30 pm on Thursday.

Meanwhile, two youths Ujjal Hasan, 21, and Al Amin, 22, were arrested from Dinajpur on Wednesday on charges of inciting communal hatred against the Hindu community of village Majhipara based on the provocative posting on Facebook.

Police filed another case against the two under the Digital Security Act 2018.

Arrested Ujjal Hasan is a resident of Bara Mazidpur near Baro Karimpur area of Majhipara village in Pirganj upazila. Al Amin hails from Kishoregari village of Pirganj upazila.

Apart from the Digital Security Act 2018 case, they are also accused in the attacks, vandalism and looting and arson case.

Another accused in another Digital Security Act 2018 case is Paritosh Sarkar (19), of village Majhipara in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur.

He was arrested from Joypurhat district last Monday night. He is currently in jail hajat.

Earlier, Paritosh Sarkar gave confessional statement before a court under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure on Tuesday evening over his involvement in making provocative post hurting sentiment of Islam on Facebook.

It may be mentioned that on the night of October 17 last, hundreds of miscreants attacked, vandalized and set fire to the houses of the Hindu community in Majhipara village of Pirganj upazila following the provocative post on Facebook.

In all, at least 68 houses in the village were attacked, burnt, vandalized and looted.

Officer-in-Charge of Pirganj Thana Saresh Chandra said a total of 55 people have been arrested so far in three cases filed by the police.