Bangladesh Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad announces countrywide protests tomorrow

In a press release on Friday, signed by BBBCOP General Secretary Rana Das Gupta, the platform said mass hunger strike, sit-in program and demonstrations would be held between 6am and 12noon in every upazila and district, reports Dhaka Tribune.

Bangladesh police have arrested the person who had  allegedly put the Holy Quran inside a mandap in Cumilla town during the Durga Puja which led to communal disturbances at several places in Bangladesh last week.

He was identified as Iqbal Hossain (30).

The man was arrested at Cox’s Bazar sea beach about 10 pm on Thursday, Rafiqul Islam, additional superintendent of police of the district told bdnews24.

The Cox’s Bazar police prepared to turn Iqbal over to Cumilla police, he said.

Faruque Ahmed, SP of Cumilla police, told the news portal they were checking whether the arrested man was actually the key suspect, Iqbal.

Based on the analysis of the CCTV footage, the police earlier identified Iqbal.

The CCTV footage shows the man carrying the holy book going towards the temple after midnight and returning back with the mace of Lord Hanuman in his hand after some time.

Though the CCTV camera in the mandap was not working, the footage has been taken from the CCTV camera of a nearby residence.

A photo of the book kept on the lap of Lord Hanuman was shared on social media which went viral.

Subsequently, mobs attacked the temples, homes and business establishments of the minority Hindu community in Cumilla. Similar incidents were reported from Noakhali, Rangpur and several other places of Bangladesh over the next few days between October 13-16.

It was suspected that the act of desecration was a premeditated act to disturb the peace and social harmony in Bangladesh.