In the case of the murder of two brothers in Faridpur, there is still ‘suppressed tension’, BGB patrolling is going on

A week has passed since the fire at a temple in Bangladesh’s Faridpur district and the lynching of two brothers over the incident, but the tension in the area has not completely subsided. According to local journalists, there is ‘concern and panic’ between both Hindu and Muslim communities in Faridpur based on this incident.

Considering the situation, four platoons of BGB have been deployed in Faridpur on Wednesday. The Magistrates of Faridpur district administration are carrying out patrolling in coordination with the joint force near Baliakandi Panchapalli and Baghat Bazar area of ​​Madhukhali Upazila along with Faridpur Sadar.

Local journalist Shraban Hasan told BBC Bangla that although there is no public tension, there is a kind of ‘repressed anger’ among local Muslims about the matter.

On the other hand, Hindus are in a different kind of panic. There is a fear of lawsuits and backlash from Muslims over the killings.

On February 18, two workers were beaten to death on suspicion of setting fire to an idol of a temple in Dumain Union of Madhukhali Upazila of Faridpur district.

Yesterday, local Member of Parliament and Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdur Rahman met the families of two murder victims, Ashraful Khan and Asadul Khan.

Minister Abdur Rahman told BBC Bangla on Thursday afternoon that this incident must have been planned. He felt that the incident was ‘planned’ to create communal tension there. However, the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock did not say anything about the plan by whom.

“There are no words to condole this tragic incident. I would call it a brutal murder,” Minister Abdur Rahman told BBC Bangla.

There are concerns about how the situation will play out on Friday. For this reason, additional precautions have been taken from the administration side.

“There may be protest rallies from different mosques. There is an organization called Islami Kalyan Foundation and they have called for a protest rally,” said local journalist Shravan Hasan.

Three platoons of BGB were deployed after the fire and killings at the temple last Thursday. It was withdrawn as the situation calmed down.

But last Tuesday, local Muslims blocked the Dhaka-Khulna highway to demand justice for the murder. This protest was organized under the banner of people from all walks of life.

Angry people stayed on the road for about five hours. At one point the police removed them from the road. At that time, angry people chased each other with the police.

According to various media reports, the police fired rubber bullets to bring the situation under control.

A case was filed against unknown persons in that incident. Since then a kind of anxiety has been operating among the local Muslims.

“Why should Muslims be worried? Those who take the law into their own hands should have such fear,” Minister Abdur Rahman told BBC Bangla.

“It is the duty of people of all faiths to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies for proper investigation of this incident. So there is nothing to worry about.”

Minister Abdur Rahman told BBC Bangla that a peace rally was held on Thursday out of fear that such incidents might happen again.

“Inshallah the situation is now under control,” said Mr. Rahman

He thinks that there may be an attempt to take political advantage of this incident. That is why they are cautious.

Parliamentarian Abdur Rahman described the incident as unbelievable after meeting the families of the victims and visiting the scene.

“It can be done by any human being, such a hellish incident, it is unbelievable to everyone. It is a small trivial incident, we are now having various thoughts about that trivial incident,” Minister Abdur Rahman told reporters on Wednesday night.

“Although the fire in the temple has been brought forward, the law enforcement forces believe that there is some other motive behind it,” Minister Abdur Rahman told BBC Bangla.

“Thousands of people arriving in such a short period of time and people sheltering in their homes without any information to attack them and kill them, destroy their lives.”

There will be a legal investigation into the incident and, subject to investigation, it will be determined whether there was any provocation.

“Those who have committed such incidents have no caste, no religion. Those involved will be punished.”

The administration did not take kindly to the way local people blocked roads and clashed with the police on Tuesday demanding justice for the murders.

The issue is also being considered as a politically sensitive issue.

“The intention of those who tried to take the incident in a different direction is not favorable. They are trying to create unnecessary tension about it,” said Minister Abdur Rahman.

“Anxieties and worries exist among people. There may be a different plan from a self-interested group.”

The issue of protest by blocking the road on Tuesday made the law and order forces active again.

A police official, who did not wish to be named, told BBC Bangla that the situation cannot be said to have calmed down. In such a situation any course of events can take a different turn. BGB has been deployed alongside the police to ensure that there is no shortage in maintaining law and order.

After the traffic chaos, Faridpur Superintendent of Police told reporters on Tuesday that extra security will be maintained till the situation is completely under control.

“So that no particular group can create another anarchy over this murder,” Faridpur Superintendent of Police Morshed Alam told a press conference.

Evening lamp was lit in the temple last Thursday evening. After some time, the idol was set on fire and some people were attacked as a result, two of them died.

However, speaking to the relatives of the victims, local public representatives and journalists, it is known that Panchapalli Government Primary School has been built near Panchapalli area public Kalimandir in Dumain Union.

Describing the temple area, local journalist Panna Bala told the BBC last Saturday that the temple is small in size and has a wall around it and a roof made of tin. And the front is blocked by a bamboo fence.

During the visit to the spot, the locals told him that every evening Malti Mandal does the job of lighting the evening lamp in that temple. On Thursday evening around 6:30 he went to the temple with the lamp.

On the other hand, a group of workers, whose houses are in another area, were working nearby for several days to build the toilet of the school near the temple.

The entire area is inhabited by Hindus and there are no Muslim settlements in the vicinity. As a result, when the news of the idol fire spread in the local Hindu community in the evening, everyone became angry.

On the other hand, the construction workers were in the school next to the temple. There were four construction workers, a rod mason, a labor foreman and another nasiman driver.

Soon after evening, when the news of the fire in Pratima spread among the locals, people gathered and started beating up the workers who were nearby. During this time they burnt a Nasimon (vehicle used at the local level).

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Morshed Alam told local reporters on Friday night that the main leader of the beating incident has been arrested. However, he did not reveal his identity.

The two brothers who died were buried on Friday.