Fresh attack on Hindus creates panic in 3 villages

Criminals vandalised houses and business set-ups and burnt harvested paddy of several Hindu families at three villages in Naogaon and Lalmonirhat on Saturday and Sunday nights. 

Community leaders have strongly urged the authorities concerned to arrest the criminals who attacked the houses and business set-ups of Hindus at Proshadpur village in Manda upazila of Naogaon on Saturday evening, reports our Dinajpur correspondent.

People of Proshadpur village said Ashraful Islam along with another man tried to abduct a young Hindu girl from the village on December 14 night but the villagers foiled the bid.

Later a gang allegedly led by Mohidul Haq, son of Mollah Emdadul Haque, president of Manda upazila unit of Awami League (AL), attacked the Hindus at Proshadpur on Saturday evening, damaging quite a few houses and business set-ups including those of Anup Kumar Mohanta, office secretary of Manda AL, and injuring several people, said Probin Kumar Das, convener of Puja Udjapan Committee in Manda.

Anup Kumar filed a case with Manda Police Station on Sunday accusing 11 people, including Mohidul Haq.

Mohidul claimed that he is unaware about any attack on the Hindus at Proshadpur.

Away in Atrai upazila, criminals torched the harvested paddy of Shirish Chandra at Nawduli village early Sunday. 

Our Lalmonirhat Correspondent reports: Criminals burnt paddy and hay stacks of two Hindu families at Shialkhowa village in Kaliganj upazila  on Sunday night.

The arson attack created fresh panic among over 200 Hindu families at the village as two temples there also came under attack on the nights of December 7 and September 1 this year.

The victims of Sunday night's attack, Madhusudan Sarker and Kamlaranjon Sarker said the criminals would not dare commit the crime if the police had taken action against the perpetrators of earlier attacks on two temples at the village.

Lalmonirhat Superintendent of Police SM Rashidul Haque said police will take stern action against the culprits.