Guwahati News Desk: The Bangladeshi police on Tuesday, informed that at least 71 cases have been started in different parts of the country so far and around 450 culprits have been arrested in the past five days.
The arrests have been made over the attacks on puja venues, temples, Hindu homes and businesses, and for spreading rumours on social media amidst the 2021 Durga Puja celebrations.
Reacting to the chaotic events, the United Nations’ resident coordinator in Bangladesh, Mia Seppo, tweeted, “Recent attacks on Hindus of Bangladesh, fuelled by hate speech on social media, are against the values of the Constitution and need to stop.”
Regarding the recent violence and attacks done against the Hindus in the Muslim-majority nation, the chaos began following allegations of the Quran being dishonoured at a puja pavilion in Cumilla on October 13, that ended up triggering violence in several districts across the country.
After the speedy circulation of the rumour, several Hindu villages came under attack and at least 20 homes were torched in the attack.
Although eventually, the young Hindu man who allegedly uploaded the false Facebook post regarding the false rumour of the Quran being disrespected was detained, yet several Hindus lost their lives amidst the ongoing chaos in the country.
Moreover, it is widely known that communal tensions have long simmered in Bangladesh, whose constitution designates Islam as the state religion but also upholds the principle of secularism, and, the Hindus make up only around 10 per cent of the population.
However, the police unit in Bangladesh is still engaged in monitoring the ongoing situation and the actions of the people, for which the number of arrests and cases could rise further in the coming days.