Lakshmi idol recovered from mosque in Bangladesh, another temple torched

On Oct 30, a mob of around 3,000 armed Muslims attacked nearly 100 Hindu houses & at least 10 temples, vandalising & looting valuables

The idol of Hindu Goddess Lakshmi, stolen from a vandalised temple, was found in a mosque in Bangladesh's Nasirnagar, six days after communal violence rocked Brahmanbaria district, even as a Muslim youth was caught torching a Kali temple in another area on Saturday, media reports said.

Police arrested Sumon Islam, after he torched the Satpai Kali Temple in Netrokona area on Saturday morning. Locals rushed to the spot, doused the fire and nabbed Sumon, who was later handed over to the police.

Bangladesh police recovered the Lakshmi idol from a mosque in Bitui village, in Nasirnagar sub district of Brahmanbaria, acting on a tip-off by the imam of the mosque.

The idol is suspected to have been stolen during the October 30 communal attacks in Brahmanbaria, when a dozen temples were vandalised and around 100 Hindu homes ransacked.

Politicising the attacks, opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Vice-Chairman Hafizuddin Ahmed said the expulsion of three local Awami League leaders for their alleged involvement in the October 30 communal attacks proved the ruling party's involvement in the attacks.

Ahmed demanded that the government set up a judicial inquiry to identify the real perpetrators and bring them to book, The Daily Star reported.

In another development, residents of Rishipara — a Hindu dominated locality — in Nasirnagar foiled an attempted attack on their homes on Saturday.

Witnesses described the attackers as youths aged around 20 years, who fled on a boat on facing resistance from the locals, Dhaka Tribune reported.

This comes a day after several Hindu homes were torched in Brahmanbaria district on Friday, raising fears over growing communal tensions.

On October 30, a mob of around 3,000 armed Muslims attacked nearly 100 Hindu houses and at least 10 temples, vandalising and looting valuables.

The attacks were reportedly in response to a Facebook post that satirised the Masjid al-Haram — a holy site for Muslims.

Police have so far detained 43 people over the attacks.