International
oi-Prakash KL
Dhaka, Feb 12: While the Hindus and their beliefs have come under constant attack in Bangladesh, a court in the country has reportedly sentenced a Hindu youth for five years for a Facebook post that hurt the sentiments of Muslims.
According to a report, the Rangpur Cyber Tribunal on Wednesday sent Paritosh Sarkar to jail for his blasphemous Facebook post and fined 30,000 Taka. The Hindu youth was convicted for hurting the sentiments of Muslims, Prosecution Counsel Ruhul Amin Talukdar said.
Any publishing that “creates enmity, hatred or hostility among different classes or communities of the society, or destroys communal harmony” are punishable under section 31(1) of the Digital Security Act in Bangladesh.
Paritosh Sarkar’s post had enraged Islamists after they discovered his post on 17 October 2021. They attacked the village in Bara Karimpur Hindu village of Ramnathpur union in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur district.
The report claims that the Muslims were mobilsed to carry out the attack through mosque loudspeakers. The Islamists had come to his house but the attack was prevented as the police arrived at the spot on time. His house was also given protection.
However, the mob they vented out their frustration by attacking the village as 60 houses were burnt down by the Islamists. Prior to setting the houses on fire, they looted the houses by stealing valuables, livestock and other items. Also, Hindu temples came under attack as the idols were destroyed.
The court sentenced this Hindu boy ( Poritosh Sarkar) of #Bangladesh to 5 years in prison in a false blasphemy case . This is Hasina’s justice and on the other hand who attacked Durga Puja have been spared without trial. The state is oppressing. @StateIRF @amnesty @UN_HRC pic.twitter.com/D9ttuqP0yL
— Bengali Hindu 🇧🇩 (@HinduVoice71) February 10, 2023
Later, Paritosh’s cowshed was vandalised as the mob overpowered the cops. The villagers ran for life and escaped to paddy field as their houses were being burnt down by the Islamists. To bring down the situation to normalcy, the police department fired rubber bullets.
In view of this incident, cases were lodged against the Hindu youth and the attackers. It was reportedly revealed that the boy was 15-16 years when the incident occurred and he was arrested later from Joypurhat from his relative house.
The court had denied bail to him several times as he was in solitary confinement for several months during the trial. He finally got bail on May 9, 2022.
During the investigation, he confessed to his crime, the cops said. However, the youth claimed that he did not post the controversial post as his cellphone had been damaged beyond repair when the incident occurred. However, the court did not find the truth in his claims and sent him to five years in prison.
The convict’s family now plans to move to the High Court.
On the other hand, although 150 people have been booked for carrying out the attack on the village, nobody has been convicted yet with 74 people getting bail while 72 are absconding.
Out of 74, village mosque’s moazzem Rabiul Islam, who gave a call on the loudspeaker to mobile Muslim youths, Saikat Mandal who masterminded the incident, and Ujjal Hasan, accused of spreading ‘blasphemous’ Facebook post, have also been granted bail.
In Muslim-dominated Bangladesh, Hindus have been facing discrimination and there have been regular attacks on the minorities as well as their temples.
According to a report by Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance, 154 religious minorities, including Hindus, were killed in Bangladesh in 2022 alone. The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance revealed that 39 women belonging to minority communities were raped (27 of them were gang-raped). About 14 of the victims were killed after committing rape and one lakh 95, 991 families have insecurity.
The annual report submitted by the alliance stated that 445 families have been forced to leave the country. 89,990 acres of land belonging to minority communities have been encroached upon. 572 families were evicted from the homestead, 3 thousand 694 families attempted to be evicted, 35, 800 families were threatened with eviction.