Police detain two Union Council members over attacks on Hindu homes in Rangpur

Police in Rangpur have detained two local elected representatives over the arson of Hindus’ homes in a village near Rangpur district town.

Maminpur Union Council members Zoynal Abedin and Fazlul Haque were held late on Thursday, said police.

“They have been brought in to question in the police case filed over the attack and arson on Hindu homes,” said Rangpur’s Kotwali Police Station OC Ferdous Ahmed.

The two will be formally arrested in the case, if allegations against them are found to be true, he added, reports bdnews24.

Several homes in the Thakurpara village were set ablaze on November 10 during a large demonstration over a Facebook post by a Hindu man Titu Roy, which allegedly hurt religious sensitivity.

Homes belonging to Hindu residents were attacked during the demonstration calling for Titu’s arrest.

A man was shot dead in an ensuing clash with police while 11 others were injured.

The next day, police filed two cases over the incident accusing over 2,000 people.

So far, 53 people have been arrested in the cases, including local Jamaat-e-Islami leader Sirajul Islam, also the imam of a local mosque.

Police later filed a case under the Information and Communication Technology Act on the allegations of hurting religious sensitivity through the Facebook post and on Tuesday, arrested Titu Roy.

He was produced before a court, when the police were granted four days to interrogate him.

Titu's family, however, says he never went to school.

“My son never went to school,” said Titu’s mother Jiten Bala adding his son practised herbal medicine.

“He left home ten years ago to try to make a living,” she said on Tuesday, when the police arrested Titu.