9 killed in violence between Aug 4-20 in B'desh: Minority group

Dhaka, PTI: At least nine people have been killed and 69 places of worship attacked and vandalised in more than 2,000 incidents of communal violence between August 4 and 20 in Bangladesh, a minority organisation in the violence-hit nation said on Thursday. Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad's leader Nirmal Rozario called for an independent and impartial investigation of communal violence under the supervision of the United Nations, the Daily Star newspaper reported.

A total of 2,010 incidents of communal violence took place in 68 out of 76 districts and metropolitan areas across the country between August 4 and 20, resulting in the deaths of nine people, Nirmal Rozario, one of the vice-presidents of the organisation, was quoted as saying by the paper. Giving details of the communal violence during the political turmoil that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Nirmal said that 1,705 families were directly affected by the violence. Among them, 157 families had their homes attacked, looted, vandalised, and set on fire. Some of their businesses were also looted, vandalised, and torched, he said at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity. Nirmal said that these families are now living in dire conditions.

He said that Khulna division saw the most violence, where four women were raped. Out of the 1,705 affected families, 34 belonged to indigenous communities and the lands of some of the families were occupied, he said. Additionally, 69 places of worship were attacked, vandalised, looted, and set ablaze during the communal violence, the newspaper reported. Nirmal called for an independent and impartial investigation of communal violence under the supervision of the United Nations.