Five Hindu houses set on fire in fresh Nasirnagar attack

Unidentified miscreants set fire to five houses inhabited by religious minority Hindus in fresh attack on the community at Nasirnagar upazila in Brahmanbaria early Friday. The incident of setting fire took place between 3:00am and 4:00am at different areas of the upazila, said upazila nirbahi officer Choudhury Muazzam Ahmed. However, no casualty was reported. Five houses, including kitchen and cowshed, were set on fire at Banikpara, Thakurpara, Akhrapara, and behind the upazila health complex. The latest incident took place amid tense situation prevailing in the upazila days after about 200 houses and business establishments and 22 temples of Hindus were vandalised and looted on Sunday by groups of locals. Meanwhile, the Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Parishad, and Puja Udjapan Parishad, formed a human chain in front of Shaheed Minar at Nasirnagar in the morning protesting the attacks. The general secretary of the Oikya Parishad Nasirnagar unit, Adesh Deb, said they formed the human chain as part of central programme. ‘If their security is not ensured, and the perpetrators are not brought to book, we will hold more programmes protesting the attacks,’ he added.