Police have detained 42 people in connection with arson attacks on the homes of Hindu community members at Boro Karimpur Majhipara village in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur district over a post on social media on Sunday night.
Saresh Chandra Ray, officer-in-charge of Pirgonj Police station said, "Some 42 people have been arrested in connection with the arson attacks in Pirganj upazila".
Two cases were filed over the arson attack and looting and vandalizing houses while 500 unknown people were made accused in the cases, the OC added.
Earlier on Sunday night, more than 20 homes belonging to Hindu community were set on fire and vandalised in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur on Sunday night over a reported Facebook post hurting religious sentiments.
The fresh incident at Majhipara Jelepolli happened amid a wave of communal unrest after an alleged desecration of the Holy Quran at a puja mandap in Cumilla during the Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the Hindu community, that ended on Friday.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Qamruzzaman said the law enforcers went to the spot as tension rose following the reported Facebook content allegedly posted by a Hindu youth of the village.
“Police took position around the youth’s house. The attackers torched some other homes of the community,” he said.
Md Moshiur Rahman, a firefighter of Pirganj fire service, told The Business Post that they were informed about the fire incident around 8:40pm.
Four fire-fighter units rushed to the spot and doused the blaze around 4:40am on Monday, he said.
More than 20 homes were torched, vandalised and looted in the incident, he added.
