Homes, grocery stores belonging to Hindu community members in Bangladesh’s Sahapara neighbourhood in Lohagara, Narail, were vandalised by Muslim mobs. According to the authoritities, a Facebook post by a 18 year old boy sparked the crowd, which went on the rampage after Friday’s Jumma Namaz. The mob initially flung stones before breaking into the Sahapara temple and damaging the furnishings that were kept there. They broke into and vandalised a grocery shop owned by the teenager whose father posted the allegedly offensive Facebook message. The angry Muslim mob continued by damaging the Hindu teen’s home and several others nearby.Speaking about the incident, Narail Superintendent of Police Prabir Kumar Roy said, “We’re investigating the incident. Those responsible for the violence will face action. The situation is normal for now.”

However, the police went ahead and detained the Hindu youth’s father from his home later in the evening, despite the fact that none of the attackers have yet been charged and no action has been taken against the Islamists. The young man who is accused of writing the post, Akash Saha, is the son of Sahapara resident Ashok Saha. Later in the evening, Azgar Ali, the Upazila nirbahi officer, and Haran Chandra Paul, the officer-in-charge of the Lohagara Police Station, went to the village to assess the situation. They claimed that additional police officers had been stationed nearby to stop further violence.

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