Staff Correspondent
Calling Bangladesh a non-communal country, Religious Affairs Minister Md Faridul Haque Khan on Saturday warned that exemplary punishments will be taken against those who were involved with the deaths of two construction workers in a mob beating following a fire in a temple in Madhukhali upazila of Faridpur on Thursday night.
The minister said that people need to see that no one is spared after committing such crimes, so that no one can gather the courage to commit the same crime at another place.
Bangladesh was founded with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s non-communal ideals and no one will be to get away with attempts to disturb religious harmony, said Faridul Haque.
Md Faridul Haque
The image shows Religious Affairs Minister Md Faridul Haque Khan visiting the house of victim of mob beating in Faridpur, on Saturday, April 20, 2024. Photo: UNBnnaddressing a meeting at the conference room of the deputy commissioner`s office in Faridpur on Saturday, April 20, 2024. Photo: Dhaka Tribune
He said this while talking to the family members of the victims, also two brothers, during a visit to their house in Ghoperghat village under the Nawarpara union of the upazila.
The minister condoled the victims’ parents and assured them of taking exemplary punishment against the accused involved with the mob beating, bringing them under trial.
Faridul said: “I just want to tell you one thing, prime minister has instructed me, I also want to tell the administration quoting the prime minister that you (administration) will do whatever is necessary for the sake of justice at the earliest and let it be justice.”
Urging all to be patient, he expressed gratitude to all who stood by the victims’ families.
Minister Faridul provided the victims’ parents with the financial assistance of Tk2 lakh. The injured will be given Tk25,000 each.
During the visit, he offered a prayer for the salvation of the departed souls of the brothers at the graveyard and inspected the Hindu-dominated Panchpalli village where the mob beating occurred on Thursday night and talked to local residents.
Secretary to the ministry Md A Hamid Zamadder, district deputy commissioner Md Qamrul Islam and superintendent of police Mohammad Morshed Alam and other officials accompanied the minister.
DC Quamrul said the district administration formed a three-strong committee headed by an additional district magistrate to investigate the incident.
SP Morshed said three cases were filed after the incident and police were conducting an operation to arrest the accused.
Two construction workers, both siblings, were killed by an unruly mob on suspicion that the duo set fire to a Hindu temple in Dumain Union under Faridpur's Madhukhali Upazila on Thursday.
Five more workers sustained severe injuries in the mob attack. But two of them were hospitalized.
A fire broke out at the Kali idols of the Barwari temple in Hindu-dominated Panchpalli village on Thursday evening.
Hindu residents became angry over the incident, and they locked up seven workers on suspicion of their involvement in the desecration of the idols.
The workers were constructing a wash block at Panchpalli Government Primary School, 20 yards off the temple.
On information, Madhukhali police and upazila administration officials rushed to the spot, but the mob also confined them, the official said. With the help of Faridpur Sadar and Rajbari police, the besieged people were rescued after a few hours.
Seven workers were rescued with injuries, four of them in a state of unconsciousness. The injured were taken to Madhukhali Upazila Health Complex and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital in Faridpur.
Two of the injured succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment.
