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2024 Chittagong unrest

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Hazari Lane unrest
Date5 November 2024
Location
Hazari Lane, Chittagong, Bangladesh
Caused byAnti-ISKCON Facebook post
MethodsBeating, vandalism, brick pelting, acid throwing
Parties

Hindu protesters:

  • ISKCON (alleged; denied by the organisation)
Casualties
Injuries
  • 12 (police and army)[1]
  • Unknown number of Hindu protesters[1]
Arrested80

In November 2024, unrest erupted at Hazari Lane in the Bangladeshi port city of Chittagong, over a Facebook post that criticised International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), who identify as a Hindu religious organisation. The content of the post referred to ISKCON as a "terrorist organisation" resulting in anger among the ISCKON members. The unrest saw attacks by a Hindu mob that included ISCKON members on a Muslim man who shared the post and an attempt to burn down his shop in the area.[2][3]

Bangladeshi joint forces stepped in to disperse the crowd and searched local properties in the area. According to the police and the army, they were attacked by the mob who threw acid and other objects at them during the incident, resulting in the injuries of several personnel.[4] In this incident, 80 people were detained by the police.[5]

Background

Like most Bangladeshi cities, Chittagong has a majority Muslim population. Around 150 people from the Hindu community trade in jewellery at Mia Shopping Center, Hazari Lane. Hindus are one of the minorities, and Hazari Lane, the place of occurrence, is historically a Hindu-dominated area.[1] As of 2011, Chittagong's population was 86.74% Muslim and 11.64% Hindu.[6]

In late October, the Hindu community held a rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chittagong with eight-point demands. There, they made demands like prosecuting the recent attacks and persecution of minorities after the nationwide mass uprising, punishing those involved, compensating them, making laws for the protection of minorities.[7] The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who visited Bangladesh in October 2024, also raised concerns about attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.[8] After that rally at Laldighi Maidan, Mahmudur Rahman, the chief editor of Dainik Amar Desh, gave an anti-ISKCON speech in an event in Dhaka:[4]

"A communal organisation like ISKCON and RAW held such a big meeting in Chittagong. In ISKCON, you will see there are thugs of Chhatra League and Jubo League."

However, General Secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh, Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari, denied these allegations, saying that ISKCON is a non-political religious international organisation.[9][10][11][1] At the local level, some Muslims were seen posting posts attacking ISKCON on social media as well. A similar post was also shared by a Muslim businessman of Hazari Lane.

Incident

A Muslim businessman named Osman Ali made a Facebook post labeling the ISKCON as a "terrorist organisation". This post sparked anger and tension among local ISKCON-affiliated Hindus in the area. In response, a group of Hindus gathered outside Mia Shopping Center in Hazari Lane, demanding an apology from the person who posted on Facebook. On the evening of 5 November 2024, tensions over the incident continued for several hours, eventually erupting into clashes. Later, the individual who made the post was surrounded by protesters inside his shop, where the shop was then attacked. The crowd protested in front of the shop.[12][4][1]

A joint forces of police and army personnel rescued the person who posted on Facebook and took him to the police station. The crowd obstructed the rescue operation, throwing bricks at the joint forces. To control the situation, the forces fired several rounds into the air. At a press conference on Wednesday, joint force spokesperson Lt. Col. Ferdous Ahmed stated that acid used in jewellery works and bricks had been thrown at the joint forces and five army and seven police officers had been injured.[2][1]

Around 8:30 p.m. that night, the joint forces re-entered Hazari Lane and beat the those who participated in the violence. Many Hindu homes were raided. The joint forces broke or disabled all CCTV cameras in the jewellery shops of the Hindu community and shut down all the shops.[13][14]

Regarding the incident, Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari, the General Secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh, told Deutsche Welle:[1]

"We want the real perpetrators to be identified through proper investigation. Before that, we want the rule of law to be upheld. We have seen videos showing the joint forces breaking the CCTV cameras. Why would they break CCTV cameras? It means there was something they didn't want evidence of. This does not reflect the rule of law."

Kajol Banik, the Joint Secretary of the Chittagong Jewellery Association, said:[1]

"On Tuesday night, the joint forces entered Hazari Lane and beat anyone they found. People were beaten mercilessly. Homes were raided. All the businessmen in the area are from the Hindu community. Each jewellery shop had two or three CCTV cameras, all of which were destroyed. They should arrest the person who threw acid. We will not object. What we heard is that, before breaking down the gate, members of the joint forces were saying, 'One, two, three, open the door, or we'll shoot.' In such a situation, someone reportedly threw acid from the jewellery shop at them."

On 8 November, the police force, accompanied by a magistrate, went to Hazari Lane and opened the shuttered shops. The Hindu shopkeepers complained that the hard disk of the shops' CCTV was taken away, and the bond was alleged taken with the statement that "there was no damage to the shop".[15]

Aftermath

On 8 November, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, an Islamist advocacy group,[16][17] organised a rally in the wake of the Hazari Lane incident at the Anderkilla Shahi Jame Mosque square in Chittagong. After the Friday prayer, the speakers in the rally organised in the mosque premises demanded the ban of ISKCON in Bangladesh. The rally condemned the attack on the shop of businessman Osman Ali in Hazari Lane, and the attack and acid throwing on the joint forces' personnel.[18] Speakers of Hefazet-e-Islam referred to ISKCON as an "anti-Hindu militant organisation" in this rally.[18] Hefazat leader Quamrul Islam Quasemi said in that rally:[19]

"Our clear objective about ISKCON is that ISKCON isn't any religious organisation. ISKCON is an international militant organisation. ISKCON has already been banned in several countries. Therefore, ISKCON isn't any Sanatana organisation. ISKCON is a militant organisation bore by the Jews and the Christians. So, we seek attention to our Hindu brothers that don't fell in the trap of ISKCON. [...] We have already seen that our Sanatani brothers are being persecuted by the ISKCON."

Sayem Ullah, the Central Assistant Publicity Secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam said:[18]

"I want to say clearly that ISKCON is not a Hindu organisation. ISKCON is an anti-Sanatani militant organisation. Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians – all have been living in harmony in Bangladesh since the independence. Despite being the majority in the country, we [Muslims] have never attacked members of other religions. But in the last 15 years, this ISKCON was implementing its own secret agenda using the support of the Awami League fascists."

He also alleged that ISKCON has been attacking Muslims and administrative officials after the fall of AL-led government on 5 August.[18]

Reactions

Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, condemned the alleged attack on members of the Hindu community in Chittagong and called on Dhaka to ensure the safety of the country's Hindu community.[20][21][22][23][24]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Dey, Sameer Kumar (7 November 2024). হাজারী গলির ঘটনায় ৪৯ ‘ইসকন-অনুসারী' গ্রেপ্তার, আসামি ৬০০ [49 "ISKCON-followers" arrested in Hazari Goli incident, 600 accused]. Deutsche Welle (in Bengali). Dhaka. Retrieved 9 November 2024. ইসকন নিয়ে ফেসবুকে অন্যের একটি পোস্ট শেয়ার করেছিলেন ব্যবসায়ী ওসমান আলী। এর প্রতিক্রিয়ায় মঙ্গলবার হাজারী গলির মিয়া শপিং সেন্টারে তার দোকান ঘেরাও করে হিন্দু সম্প্রদায়ের বিক্ষুব্ধ লোকজন। পরিস্থিতি নিয়ন্ত্রণে যৌথ বাহিনী গেলে তাদের সঙ্গে বিক্ষুব্ধদের সংঘর্ষ হয়। এতে সেনাবাহিনী ও পুলিশের অন্তত ১২ সদস্য আহত হন।...আইন-শৃঙ্খলা বাহিনীর বিরুদ্ধে ব্যাপক লাঠিপেটার অভিযোগ উঠলেও লাঠির আঘাতে কতজন আহত হয়েছেন তা জানা যায়নি।...চট্টগ্রাম শহরের কোতোয়ালি থানার টেরিবাজার এলাকায় হিন্দু অধ্যুষিত...ওই এলাকায় যৌথ বাহিনীর অভিযানের সময় ব্যাপক লাঠিচার্জ ও মারধরের ছবি সামাজিক মাধ্যমে ছড়িয়ে পড়ে। এ ঘটনাকে কেন্দ্র করে হিন্দু সম্প্রদায়ের লোকজনদের নিপীড়নের অভিযোগ উঠেছে। বিশেষ করে অভিযানের সময় যৌথবাহিনীর সদস্যদের সিসি ক্যামেরাগুলো ভেঙে ফেলার বিষয়টি প্রশ্নের জন্ম দিয়েছে। ...যৌথ বাহিনীর মুখপাত্র লে. কর্নেল ফেরদৌস আহমেদ বুধবার এক সংবাদ সম্মেলনে বলেন, "যৌথবাহিনীর ওপর সেখানে জুয়েলারির কাজে ব্যবহৃত এসিড হামলা ও ইট-পাটকেলসহ কাঁচের বোতল ছোঁড়া হয়েছে। এতে পাঁচ সেনা সদস্য ও সাত জন পুলিশ সদস্য আহত হয়েছে।...ইসকন, বাংলাদেশের সাধারণ সম্পাদক চারু চন্দ্র দাস ব্রহ্মচারী ডয়চে ভেলেকে বলেন, "হাজারী গলিতে সংঘটিত হামলা-ভাংচুরসহ অনাকাঙ্খিত কোনো ঘটনার সঙ্গে ইসকনের কোনো সম্পৃক্ততা নেই। ...চট্টগ্রাম জুয়েলারি অ্যাসোসিয়েশনের যুগ্ম সম্পাদক কাজল বণিক ডয়চে ভেলেকে বলেন, "মঙ্গলবার রাতে যৌথ বাহিনী হাজারী গলিতে ঢুকে যাকে পেয়েছে তাকেই মেরেছে। নির্দয়ভাবে পিটিয়েছে। বাসা-বাড়িতে হামলা করা হয়েছে। পরে সব দোকান সিলগালা করে দেওয়া হয়েছে। এলাকার সব ব্যবসায়ী হিন্দু সম্প্রদায়ের মানুষ। সেখানেই কাজ করা একজন যদি ধর্মীয় সংগঠনকে আক্রমণ করে তাহলে হিন্দুদের মধ্যে ক্ষোভ হবে না? ক্ষোভ থেকে প্রতিবাদ হয়েছে। সেখানে নির্বিচারে হামলা করা হয়েছে মানুষের ওপর।....বাড়ি বাড়ি ঢুকে, গেট ভেঙে যেভাবে পেটানো হয়েছে সেটা দেখলে যে কারো চোখে জল চলে আসবে৷ এভাবে কি বেঁচে থাকা যায়?" [Osman Ali, a trader, shared another person's post on Facebook about ISKCON. In response, angry people from the Hindu community surrounded his shop at Mia Shopping Center at Hazari Goli on Tuesday. When the joint forces went to control the situation, the angry people clashed with them. At least 12 members of the army and police were injured.... It is not known how many people were injured due to the impact of the baton, although there have been allegations of widespread caning against the law and order forces.... Teribazar area of Kotwali police station of Chittagong city is Hindu dominated... During the operation of the joint forces in the area, pictures of widespread lathicharge and beatings were spread on social media. Allegations of persecution of the Hindu community have been raised based on this incident. In particular, the destruction of CCTV cameras by members of the joint forces during the operation has raised questions.... Spokesperson of the joint force Lt. Colonel Ferdous Ahmed said in a press conference on Wednesday, "the joint forces were attacked with acid used in [making] jewellery and glass bottles were thrown along with bricks and stones. Five army personnel and seven police personnel were injured.... General Secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh, Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari told Deutsche Welle, "ISCON has no involvement with any untoward incident including the attack and vandalism that took place in Hazari Goli."... Chittagong Jewelery Association Joint Secretary Kajal Banik told Deutsche Welle, "On Tuesday night, joint forces entered Hazari Goli and beat up whoever they found. Beaten mercilessly. Houses were attacked. Later all shops were sealed. All the traders in the area are Hindus. If someone working there attacks a [Hindu] religious organization, won't there be anger among the Hindus? There was a protest out of anger. People have been attacked indiscriminately there....Tears will come to anyone's eyes if they see the way entering the house, breaking down the gate and beaten. Is it possible to live like this?"]
  2. ^ a b "Clash erupts over Facebook post in Chattogram, 7 cops injured". Prothom Alo. Chattogram. 6 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024. ...on Tuesday night that a shopkeeper, Md Osman, from Hazari Goli area shared a post on his Facebook a few days ago mentioning the name of Hindu religious organisation ISKCON. Some aggrieved people from the Hindu community attacked Osman's shop over the post this evening and were protesting in the area.....At that time they started throwing brick chips.
  3. ^ "Ctg shop vandalised over Facebook post on Iskcon". The Business Standard. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b c ইসকন নিয়ে পোস্ট, এরপর কী ঘটেছে চট্টগ্রামের হাজারী গলিতে [Post about ISKCON, what happened next in Chittagong's Hazari Goli.]. BBC Bangla (in Bengali). 6 November 2024. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024. রাতে ওই এলাকায় যৌথবাহিনীর অভিযানের সময় ব্যাপক লাঠিচার্জ ও মারধরের ছবি সামাজিক মাধ্যমে ছড়িয়ে পড়েছে। এ ঘটনাকে কেন্দ্র করে অভিযানের সময় হিন্দু সম্প্রদায়ের লোকজনের ওপর নিপীড়নের অভিযোগ উঠেছে।....পরে ফেসবুকে পোস্ট দেয়া ব্যক্তিকে হিন্দু সম্প্রদায়ের মানুষ সেখানেই দোকানের ভেতরে ঘিরে ফেলে। এ সময় সেই দোকানে হামলার ঘটনা ঘটে।....মি. রহমান এক অনুষ্ঠানে 'ইসকনকে সাম্প্রদায়িক ও ভারতীয় গোয়েন্দা সংস্থা র-এর' সংগঠন হিসেবে মন্তব্য করেছিলেন।...যৌথবাহিনী হাজারী গলিতে ঢুকে যাকে পেয়েছে তাকেই মেরেছে। বাসা-বাড়িতে হামলা করা হয়েছে। পরে সব দোকান বন্ধ করে দেয়া হয়েছে।...দুর্বৃত্তরা এ সময় যৌথবাহিনীর ওপর অতর্কিতভাবে জুয়েলারির কাজে ব্যবহৃত এসিড হামলা চালায় এবং ভারী ইট পাটকেলসহ ভাঙা কাঁচের বোতল ছুড়তে শুরু করে,... [Pictures of massive lathi charge and beatings during the operation of joint forces in the area at night have spread on social media. There have been allegations of persecution of the Hindu community during the operation based on this incident.... Later, the person who posted on Facebook was surrounded by the peoples of the Hindu community inside the shop. At that time, the shop was attacked.... Mr. Rahman in an event commented that "ISKCON is communal and a organization of the Indian intelligence agency RAW.... the joint forces entered Hazari Gully and beat up whoever they found. Houses were attacked. Later, all the shops were closed.... The miscreants then suddenly attacked the joint forces with acid used in Jewellery and started hurling broken glass bottles along with bricks,...]
  5. ^ "80 detained over attack on joint forces in Ctg's Hazari Lane". The Business Standard. 6 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Chittagong district – Zila statistics" (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  7. ^ "Hindus in Bangladesh stage major rally in Chittagong demanding minority rights". The New Indian Express. 26 October 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  8. ^ "UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk concludes official visit to Bangladesh". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 30 October 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  9. ^ Kumari, Shweta. "As crisis deepens, Bangladeshi journalist Mahmudur Rahman demands ban on ISKCON, sparks outrage (WATCH)". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Iskcon demands apology from Mahmudur Rahman in 7 days". Dhaka Tribune. 2 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
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  12. ^ "Clashes erupt in Bangladesh as Hindu community protests Facebook post on ISKCON". 6 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  13. ^ Sayantani (7 November 2024). "Bangladesh security forces target Hindus in Chittagong, Taslima Nasreen shares shocking video". Retrieved 8 November 2024. Tensions erupted in Chittagong, Bangladesh, on November 5, following a controversial social media post that sparked violent clashes between the Hindu community and Bangladesh security forces.......The footage depicted scenes of chaos, with security forces clashing with civilians, chasing protesters, and beating them with batons. Reports from local media outlet Prothom Alo revealed that blank rounds were fired into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd, and security personnel were seen dismantling CCTV cameras in the area to prevent further documentation of the violence.
  14. ^ "Bangladeshi forces crack down on Hindus in Chittagong after post sparks unrest". India Today. 7 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  15. ^ চট্টগ্রামে নির্যাতনে নিশানা সংখ্যালঘুরা, উদ্বেগ জানাল দিল্লি [Minorities targeted for torture in Chittagong, Delhi expressed concern]. Anandabazar Patrika (in Bengali). ABP. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024. ...পুলিশ এক জন ম্যাজিস্ট্রেটকে সঙ্গে নিয়ে হাজারি গলিতে গিয়ে দোকানগুলির দরজার সিল ভেঙে দেয়। অভিযোগ, দোকানের সিসিটিভি-র হার্ডডিস্ক খুলে নিয়ে যাওয়া হয়। 'দোকানে কোনও ক্ষয়ক্ষতি হয়নি' এমন বয়ানে মুচলেকাও নেওয়া হয়।...অভিযোগ উঠেছে, হেফাজতে চোখমুখ বেঁধে তাঁদের নির্দয় ভাবে মারধর করেছে সেনারা। আদালতে হাজির করা ৫৩ জনেরই শরীর জুড়ে মারের দাগ ছিল। [The police accompanied by a magistrate went to Hazari Gali and broke the seals on the doors of the shops. Allegedly, the hard disk of the shop's CCTV was removed [from the system] and taken away. A bond is also taken on the statement that "no damage has been done to the shop"....Allegations have been made that they were blindfolded and beaten mercilessly by the soldiers in custody. All the 53 people who appeared in the court had bruises all over their bodies.]
  16. ^ "Civil & Political Rights In Bangladesh" (PDF). Asian Centre for Human Rights. 1: 37. 16 March 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
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  19. ^ "ইসকনকে নিষিদ্ধের দাবি তুললো হেফাজত". Ittefaq. 9 November 2024.
  20. ^ "India Urges Bangladesh To Take Strong Measures To Ensure Safety Of Hindus". NDTV. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024. Amid reports of tension in Bangladesh's Chittagong following provocative social media posts, India on Thursday urged Dhaka to take action against "extremist" elements and ensure the safety of the country's Hindu community. During a weekly media briefing here, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal condemned the alleged attack on the members of the Hindu community in Chittagong....The tension was the result of "incendiary posts" on social media, he said.
  21. ^ "India asks Bangladesh to take action against 'extremist elements' to ensure safety of Hindus". Business Today (India). 8 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024. The MEA spokesperson emphasised that it is Dhaka's special responsibility to ensure the security of minorities.
  22. ^ "India urges Bangladesh to take action against extremists, ensure safety of Hindus in Chittogong". The Times of India. New Delhi. 7 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024. Reacting on the attacks on the Hindu community, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have observed that there have been attacks on Hindu community in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Their properties have been looted, their business establishments have been looted. These happened following incendiary posts on social media targeting Hindu religious organisations."
  23. ^ "'We Urge Bangladesh To Take Action Against Extremist Elements': India After Attack On Hindus In". news.abplive.com. 2024-11-07. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
  24. ^ "India calls on Bangladesh to bolster security after Hindus attacked in Chittagong". India Today. 2024-11-07. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
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