An unruly mob vandalised and set fire to a shrine at a village in Homna upazila of Cumilla on Thursday on the pretext that someone with link to the shrine had insulted Prophet Mohamad (PBUH) a day earlier through a Facebook post.
The incident took place at the shrine of Kafil Uddin Shah in Asadpur village under Asadpur Union in the early afternoon, according to residents of the locality. Some other graves at the shrine complex have also been damaged. The extent of damage due to the attack could not yet be ascertained.
The attack on the shrine and three adjacent houses, including that of the accused, was carried out after an announcement using loudspeakers, they said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the police arrested an individual named Mohammad Mohsin, 35, for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. He is the son of Alek Shah from the Fakirbari area of the upazila and grandson of Kafil Uddin Shah after whom the shrine was named.
The day’s incident took place just within two weeks after the mob in the name of Tawhidi Janata burnt the body of Nurul Haque alias Nural Pagla – the man who declared himself as Imam Mahdi– at Goalanda in Rajbari on September 5.
None has so far been arrested in connection with the attack on the shrine and houses on Thursday, Nazir Ahmed Khan, the superintendent of police of Comilla, told TIMES of Bangladesh.
Immediately after the incident, he and Homna Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Ksemalika Chakma visited the spot.
Nazir Ahmed said that upon receiving information, police and army personnel brought the situation under control.
“Legal proceedings are underway. Measures will be taken against those responsible for the incident,” he said,
“We are investigating whether anyone has incited the incident. Additional police forces have been deployed at the site,” said the district’s top police officer.
Locals reported that Mohsin posted a Facebook post at around 11:00am on Wednesday under the account name “Bemja Mohsin”, allegedly defaming Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Sharply reacting to the post, locals staged demonstration and demanded the arrest of Mohsin. In response to the protest, the police arrested Mohsin and took him to the police station.
Later in the evening, Mohammad Shariful Islam, organising secretary of Bangladesh Islami Youth Sena Homna upazila unit, filed a religious defamation case with the Homna police station against Mohsin.
Mohsin was produced before the court on Thursday.
Witnesses said that people, angered by the post, set fire to the shrine and three houses, including Mohsin’s one, located near the shrine in the early afternoon of Thursday.
Two units of the Fire Service and Civil Defense reached the spot to control the flames.
UNO Khemalika Chakma told TIMES of Bangladesh, “On Wednesday, anger was stirred among the people as their religious sentiment was hurt. Consequently, the angry crowd attacked the shrine, vandalised it and set it on fire on Thursday.”
