3 injured in clash between police, people of Hindu community going to immerse idols in Dhaka

Dhaka: At least three people were injured in a clash that broke out between police and Hindu community going to immerse idols following the conclusion of Durga Puja in an Old Dhaka locality, a media report said on Monday.

The three people, including a police officer, were injured when miscreants threw bricks from the rooftop of Nur Super Market in Patuatuli area of Old Dhaka on the procession heading to immerse idols in the Buriganga river late Sunday night, The Daily Star newspaper said quoting an eyewitness.

Following the attack, members of the Hindu community tried to enter the market but faced resistance from the police.

Kotwali police station Officer-in-Charge Md Enamul Hasan told the newspaper, “The locals attempted to enter the market. For the sake of the market's security, we resisted them from entering, which eventually led to the clash." The officer further said that unable to control the situation, he informed the army and they arrived and dispersed the crowd. “The situation is now largely under control,” he added.

The five-day Hindu religious festival that began with an invocation of Goddess Durga on Wednesday, conlcuded with the immersion of Goddess Durga murtis on Sunday.

The Hindus constitute about 8 per cent of the 170 million population in Bangladesh. The community has faced attacks since regime change on August 5 and in the latest series of incidents, Durga Puja mandaps faced vandalism.

A crude bomb was allegedly thrown at a Durga Puja mandap in the Tanti Bazar area of Old Dhaka on Friday and although the bomb caught fire, nobody was injured.

From October 1 onwards till Friday, 17 persons were arrested and about a dozen cases registered after Bangladesh witnessed about 35 untoward incidents related to the Durga Puja celebrations.