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Journalism of Courage
As an interim Bangladesh government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is set to take oath on Thursday, locals remained on vigil as the targeting of minorities was reported across various districts this week.
Houses and businesses belonging to Hindus in Jessore, Satkhira and Patuakhali were vandalised, set ablaze and looted earlier this week, as per local media reports. From a sewing machine to gas cylinders to computers, air conditioners, routers and even fish were looted from some houses, prompting residents to take turns to keep vigil at night. Shops of many workers and supporters of Awami League were also attacked in Pakhimara market.
Students guarded Hindu temples and other places of worship in social media footage and images verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency Sanad, including in Chittagong. Meanwhile, both Muslim and Hindu neighbours were guarding and protecting the Dhakeswari temple, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
In Comilla, Birchandra Public Library and Nagar Milnayatan (Town Hall) were attacked and set on fire, while books in its premises were stolen or damaged. Many of the books in the library were printed at least two hundred years ago, according to Prothom Alo.
On Pabna’s Chatmohar, the house of Sanjit Saha Kingshuk, vice-president of Chatmohar Press Club and correspondent of daily Manabzamin newspaper, with sticks and native weapons. At that time, Sanjit Saha Kingshuk was not found at home and the miscreants attacked the house and furniture
Amid the aftermath of violent protests that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and claimed over 400 lives, the army and police stood as silent spectators, ignoring calls of help from citizens. A Hindu student in Dhaka told New York Times that Muslims had attacked her family at their home in the southern Bagerhat region, killing her father and leaving her mother with head injuries.
Rana Das Gupta, who leads an organisation of Bangladesh’s religious minorities, said attacks toward Hindus had resulted in at least two deaths and more than 100 injuries. He added that at least 97 houses and shops of minorities and 10 temples were attacked, vandalised and looted on Monday and Tuesday. “Some of those whose homes were attacked may be directly involved in Awami League politics, but most are ordinary Hindus,” he said. “Therefore, this is definitely communal and targeted violence.”
According to a Daily Star report, there was vandalism and destruction at popular folk band Joler Gaan’s frontman Rahul Ananda’s residence on Monday prompting the singer and his family to take shelter at a secret place.
“Rahul Da and his family are shaken and take shelter to a secret place known to only a few. We could not contact him yet. It was not even his house, it was a rental he was living in for decades,” the media report said quoting Saiful Islam Jarnal, one of Joler Gaan’s founding members. Jarnal described that the mob after broking the main gate, started ravaging the house taking whatever they could find for themselves – from furniture, mirrors to valuables and then torched the whole house along with Rahul Ananda’s musical instruments. The fire also devoured the musician’s collection of over 3,000 musical instruments, which he designed and made over the years, the Daily Star said.
Meanwhile, all India Visa Application Centres were announced closed till further notice.
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