Attack on Hindus: Sayedul to brief media tomorrow

Amid widespread criticism for his comments over the attack on Hindu community in Nasirnagar, Fisheries Minister Muhammed Sayedul Hoque will brief the media in Brahmanbaria tomorrow.

The press briefing will be held at Nasirnagar Dak-Bungalow over the prevailing situation in Nasirnagar area around 1:00pm, a PID handout said this evening.

This will be the minister's first formal briefing since the Sunday's synchronized attack where he is likely to clear his stance over the incident.

Sayeedul, also a local Awami League MP, claimed that Sunday's hate attack over a Facebook post was "not that serious" and that "only one or two incidents of looting took place".

His remarks drew widespread criticism from different quarters of the society across the county.

Several rights bodies and minority organisations also demanded resignation of the minister for his remarks.

The minister also claimed barely "one or two houses were affected" and then went on to accuse the media of exaggeration.

Contrary to his claim, however, the local administration in a survey found at least 58 families were affected and 17 temples were either damaged or looted when religious zealots went berserk for around two hours in at least eight Hindu-dominated areas that day.