Our Correspondent . Panchagarh | Published: 00:19, May 24,2023
A team of the International Human Rights Committee on Tuesday had a meeting with the local administration in Panchagarh after visiting the affected areas on Monday that came under the Ahmadiyya attack.
A group of extremists launched attacks over the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat’s Salana Jalsa on March 3, 4 and 5.
The six-member team was led by the IHRC president Aaron Rhodes from Austria and its secretary Nasim Malik from London.
Rajshahi University professor Abdullah Shams Bin Tariq bilingually assisted the team.
On March 3, 4 and 5, two people were killed, many injured and around 200 houses in Ahmad Nagar, Shalashiri and Sonachandi villages of Panchagarh district were looted, torched and vandalised as a group of extremists clashed with law enforcers in the district over an annual congregation of the Ahmadiyya community.
Thirty four cases were filed with Panchagarh sadar and Boda police stations, and some 260 people were arrested in this connection.
Panchagarh deputy Commissioner Md Zahurul Islam said, ‘There is no chance for the constitutional rights to be eroded in the hands of any criminal.’
On March 15, the Panchagarh district administration distributed Tk 1 crore as humanitarian aid given by prime minister Sheikh Hasina to the affected families.
The main accused in the case, Abdur Rahman and his son Motahar Hossain surrendered to a court on April 13.
The court denied their bail and sent them to jail.
Ahmad Tabshir of the media wing of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat said, ‘We are happy with the actions of the administration, but the police are yet to arrest the instigators of this incident.’
Panchagarh police superintendent SM Sirajul Huda said, ‘On the basis of video footage, CCTV footage and intelligence information, the miscreants who participated in the sabotage are being identified. The law will not spare the criminals.’
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