By NNN-BSS,
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today directed the law enforcement agencies to bring the Ramu rioters to book immediately and said that the culprits must be given an exemplary punishment to thwart recurrence of such crimes.
“The culprits involved in the attacks on Buddhist temples and houses in Ramu and Ukhiya would have to be given an exemplary punishment by bringing them to book so that they cannot dare to commit such crimes in future,” she said while exchanging views with district-level officials at local Circuit House.
“How do the culprits get such courage to give threat to the minorities?” she questioned and asked for formation of committees comprising members of all religions and law enforcement agencies to maintain communal harmony in the district.
At the meeting, the Prime Minister wanted to know from the officials whether there was any negligence of any officials, what steps were taken after the mayhem and who were involved in it.
The officials said the attacks on the Buddhist temples and houses were pre- planned and they are trying to arrest the culprits. As many as 207 persons were picked up from Cox’s Bazar and 37 apprehended from Chittagong, while the names of another 70 persons involved in attacks in Patiya and Chittagong were received.
They said Omar Faruk, owner of a mobile phone repairing shop, the starting point of six-hour-long communal campaign against the Buddhists, was arrested and being interrogated. They said they are also trying to nab Muktadir, a Chhatra Shibir cadre and an associate of Muktadir.
The officials said they raided Chittagong Polytechnic Institute where Muktadir is studying. But he (Muktadir) managed to flee, they said.
Divisional Commissioner Sirazul Islam, DIG of Police (Chittagong) Nawsher Ali, Deputy Commissioner Jashim Uddin and Police Super Salim Mahmud Jahangir also spoke at the meeting.
Later, at a meeting with leaders of different political parties at Circuit House, the Prime Minister asked the political leaders to constitute committees involving the people of all strata to avert such misdeeds.
Sheikh Hasina thanked the leaders and workers of Awami League and its associate bodies as well as other progressive forces to take initiatives to quell the incident. There would have been more losses had they not taken timely steps, she said.
About the posting of photograph disgracing the holy Quran by Uttam Kumar Barua, she said it would be investigated.
Critisizing BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia for blaming the government for the incident, she said BNP is champion in spreading falsehood. They are expert in putting responsibility on the shoulder of the government by committing crimes themselves.
In this connection, she mentioned the August 21 grenade attack on AL rally in Dhaka and synchronized bomb blasts in cinemas in Mymensingh during the rule of the four-party alliance government.
The Prime Minister said her previous government in 1996 arrested many militants from Cox’s Bazar and destroyed their bases. But after coming to power in 2001, the BNP-Jamaat Alliance government released them from jail.
Earlier, the political leaders apprised the Prime Minister of the background in detail of attacks on Buddhist temples and houses in Ramu and Ukhiya.
Abdur Rahman Badi, MP, District Administrator Mostaque Ahmed Chowdhury, Cox’s Bazar AL General Secretary Salahuddin Ahmad,Ramu Upazila Chairman Sohel Sarwar Kajol, Ukhiya AL General Secretary Advocate Shamsul Haque, District JSD President Naimul Haque Tutul and District Workers Party President Haji Bashirul Alam also spoke at the meeting, among others.