Dhaka
A clash broke out between police and members of the Hindu community in Old Dhaka during the immersion procession following Durga Puja, resulting in injuries to at least three individuals, including a police officer. The incident occurred late Sunday night in the Patuatuli area when bricks were allegedly thrown from the rooftop of Nur Super Market at the procession heading to the Buriganga River for immersion, a media report said on Monday.
The Hindu community members reportedly tried to enter the market after the attack but faced resistance from the police. Officer-in-Charge Md Enamul Hasan of Kotwali police station explained, ‘For the sake of the market’s security, we resisted them from entering, which eventually led to the clash.’ The situation escalated, prompting police to call in the army, who then dispersed the crowd and brought the situation under control.
The five-day Durga Puja festival, which began last Wednesday, concluded with the immersion ceremony on Sunday. The Hindu community, which makes up about 8% of Bangladesh’s 170 million population, has faced heightened tensions and attacks since a regime change on August 5. In recent incidents, Durga Puja mandaps have been targeted, including a crude bomb thrown at a mandap in Tanti Bazar. Although the bomb caused a fire, no injuries were reported. Since October 1, about 35 incidents related to the celebrations have been reported, leading to 17 arrests and multiple cases.
