In a village of Betgari Union, Gangachara Upazila in Rangpur district of northern Bangladesh, allegations have surfaced that homes of members of the Hindu Sanatan community were attacked and looted after claims that a teenage boy posted blasphemous content about the Prophet on Facebook.
The accused teenager is a student at a local private educational institution. He has been arrested by the police and sent to jail through the court. The local administration stated that he has been charged under the Cyber Security Act.
Mahmud Hasan Khan, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), told BBC Bangla that after provocations were broadcast over loudspeakers and some houses were attacked, army and police forces were deployed to the area.
According to Mohammad Al Emran, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gangachara Police Station, the situation was mostly under control as of Monday.
Adjacent to the affected area is Kishoreganj Upazila in Nilphamari district. According to both the administration and locals, a group of people from there made announcements over loudspeakers, organized a march, and carried out the attacks and vandalism.
The local head of Jamaat-e-Islami said the public was enraged and acted violently, and initially, the police couldn’t contain the situation.
However, the local president of the Union BNP, Md. Shahidul Islam, claimed that even after police took action, “a certain group incited instability in the area and attacked some homes.”
What Has Been Learned About the Incident
The UNO of Gangachara said that a complaint surfaced that a local person had made a mocking post about Prophet Muhammad on Facebook, which was brought to the attention of the police.
He said:
“The matter came to light the day before yesterday, and the OC informed me. The accused was taken into police custody the same day. Despite this, a group continued protesting until 2 AM that night. We calmed the situation through dialogue.
But on Sunday, 2,000–3,000 people launched another attack. Around 15 homes were vandalized.”
Journalists who visited the scene noted that the alleged offensive post was not from a verified account.
“It is not even certain whether the boy posted it. But loudspeakers were used to accuse him of blasphemy and gather people. This was done by a group from a neighboring upazila,” said one journalist who spoke with locals.
Dilip Roy, a resident of the area, told BBC Bangla:
“The boy denied the allegations. For his safety, we handed him over to the police ourselves. But even after that, an agitated crowd marched to our homes and attacked us. They looted and vandalized 15–16 houses.”
Meanwhile, OC Al Emran said the boy was arrested after preliminary evidence suggested he had indeed posted blasphemous content and images.
He confirmed that no further untoward incidents occurred after the army was deployed Sunday and that both police and soldiers remained stationed there Monday.
Mr. Roy added:
“The administration tried to stop the attackers. We didn’t protest or resist, just to avoid more violence. But the situation is still tense. We are living in fear.”
Locals say the area where the incident occurred is a Hindu-majority ward in the union, with over 2,500 Hindu voters on the last voter list.
Another local resident, Arbind Roy, said:
“We heard rumors that more marches were being planned for Monday. But the army is here now, and Hindus from other areas have come to support us. Police are also present.”
He added that attackers not only vandalized homes but also destroyed surrounding sugarcane fields.
According to both the administration and locals, after the boy was taken into custody on Saturday night over the Facebook post, a group of people marched to his house, shouting slogans and demanding justice.
Later that night, another march targeted a relative’s house of the accused and carried out an attack.
Police and local officials rushed to the scene at night and managed to control the situation after speaking to locals.
However, around noon on Sunday, news emerged that thousands were planning another march toward the area. The police then informed the army. By 3 PM, a group arrived with a procession and began vandalizing and looting. Several police officers were reportedly injured during this violence, according to the UNO.
After the army arrived, the attackers dispersed.
As of the latest reports, both police and soldiers continued to surround the area.
Statements from Political Leaders
Shah Alam, the local Jamaat-e-Islami leader, said:
“For 2–3 days, efforts were being made to provoke violence. We tried to pacify the people, but eventually thousands gathered, and several houses were attacked. Things have calmed now. We hope no more incidents occur.”
Md. Shahidul Islam of the local BNP said:
“The boy accused of blasphemy was arrested immediately. Still, a group incited violence and attacked Hindu homes.”
He added that the violence occurred after the army briefly left on Sunday afternoon.
“We had warned the administration. Now that the police and army are present again, we hope the situation stabilizes,” he told BBC Bangla.
