Last Updated on September 19, 2025 8:02 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
Police have filed a case against 2,200 unidentified people after mobs vandalised and set fire to four shrines in Bangladesh’s Cumilla’s Homna upazila on Thursday, triggered by allegations of blasphemy. Homna Police Station SI Tapas Kumar lodged the case on Thursday night, Officer-in-Charge Muhammad Rafiqul Islam confirmed, adding that “additional forces have been deployed” as the atmosphere remains tense.
Violence erupted after Mohsin, 35, a local resident, allegedly posted derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on Facebook. He was arrested the same day and sent to Cumilla Jail following a case filed by Shariful Islam, organisational secretary of Bangladesh Islami Jubo Sena’s Homna unit.
Enraged locals later torched the shrine of Mohsin’s grandfather, Kafil Shah, along with the family home, and vandalised the shrines of Kalu Shah, Hawali Shah (Babul), and Abdu Shah. Witnesses claimed mosque loudspeakers incited the crowd, though some locals denied this.
Fire services contained the blaze, while police, army personnel, and officials including SP Nazir Ahmed Khan, Senior ASP Abdul Karim, ASP Md Faisal Tanvir and UNO Khemalika Chakma visited the sites. SP Nazir said, “The accused was arrested within a very short time. Those involved in today’s vandalism and arson, and anyone who instigated or incited it, will also be brought under the law.” UNO Khemalika urged restraint: “The accused is already under arrest and facing legal action. No one should take the law into their own hands. Everyone’s cooperation is needed to maintain order.”