[Bangla Daily Star] At least 15 Hindus, including a freedom fighter and three women, were beaten up in a hate attack on their neighbourhood in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat on Thursday night.In another incident, unidentified criminals set fire to a temple in sadar upazila of Gazipur district early yesterday, damaging four idols.
In Lalmonirhat, a gang of 10 went to the house of freedom fighter Amulya Chandra Roy, 62, around 9:00pm on Thursday and started beating him indiscriminately, reported our correspondent in the district, quoting police.
As family members and neighbours went to his rescue, they too were badly beaten up. The injured were admitted to Hatibandha upazila health complex.
The attackers expeditiously departed at a goodly pace quickly.
None of the victims or community leaders would say anything about the attackers.
Speaking in return for anonymity, some locals said the neighbourhood is surrounded by Jamaat strongholds and that Jamaat-Shibir men had a hand in the attack.
Abu Bakkar Siddique Shyamol, an aide to Motahar Hossain, state minister for primary and mass education and local politician, said the anti-Liberation forces might have been behind the attack to create panic among the Hindu community.
The ruling Awami League would bear the medical expenses of those injured, he added.
Tapas Kumar Sarker, officer-in-charge of Hatibandha Police Station, told The Daily Star the police were working to identify and arrest the attackers.
A correspondent from Gazipur reports: Keshurita Maddhyapara Shree Shree Laxmimata temple in sadar upazila was torched around 3:00am yesterday.
Four idols were damaged in the arson attack. Locals rushed to the scene and put out the blaze before it could wreak more damage.
Gazipur Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Fouzia Rahman has visited the spot.
SM Kamruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Joydevpur Police Station, said they were looking into the matter.
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