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Sheikh Hasina’s ouster and chaos in Bangladesh signal dangerous times for Hindus: BNP alliance with Jihadis, targeted attacks against minorities and more

Jinit Jain
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Sheikh Hasina’s ouster and chaos in Bangladesh signal dangerous times for Hindus: BNP alliance with Jihadis, targeted attacks against minorities and more

Immediately after Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country, scenes of thousands of violent protesters storming the compound of her residence, stealing her utensils, sarees, undergarments and flashing them as war booty and subsequently scaling the iconic parliament building brought us a glimpse of the ominous times that lies ahead for Bangladesh, another nation where democracy was snuffed out by rampaging Islamists, only to give way for a military rule.

General Waker-Uz-Zaman, the army chief of Bangladesh, announced on Monday that an interim government would assume control. He assured that the military would “step back” and commit to initiating an investigation into the fatal crackdown on student protesters.

“There is a crisis in the country. I have met Opposition leaders, and we have decided to form an interim government to run this country. I take all responsibility and promise to protect your life and property. Your demands will be fulfilled. Please support us and stop the violence. If you work with us, we can move towards a proper solution. We cannot achieve anything through violence,” he said. 

Anarchy and lawlessness reign supreme

On Monday, August 5, 2024, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled as ongoing nationwide protests turned violent. Hundreds of protesters stormed her official residence, waving flags and raising slogans against her, shortly after she fled, stealing utensils, sarees, and other belongings from her residence.

After resigning as Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina left Bangladesh and arrived at the Hindon Air Base near Delhi. She was expected to fly to London, reports said. 

Due to the unrest in Bangladesh, the BSF issued a high alert along the India-Bangladesh border. As a result, both passenger and freight train services heading towards the border areas have been suspended.

Islamic fundamentalists set to become stronger with Sheikh Hasina’s exit

Nevertheless, Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as Prime Minister of Bangladesh has created a power vacuum that Islamist groups could exploit to gain control. Throughout her tenure, Hasina, a potent symbol of secularism in a country plagued with Islamists, dealt Islamic fundamentalists with an iron fist, including those from the main opposition party BNP, which has connections to the terror group Al Qaeda. While this strategy temporarily consolidated her authority, the students’ protests, however, provided an outlet for these extremist groups to harness the growing resentment to dislodge the Sheikh Hasina government and empower themselves, leading to a more significant presence in Bangladesh’s political landscape.

After Hasina’s resignation amid widespread protests, Islamist groups, which played a key role in the demonstrations, are now in a position to gain greater political influence. Forming an interim government in this unstable environment could allow these factions to shape policies and advance their agenda, which would inevitably pivot around religious bigotry and persecution of minorities, which has only accelerated following the exit of Sheikh Hasina.

In the wake of Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, hundreds of protesters pulled down the bust of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, in Dhaka. The visuals symbolised what lies ahead for Bangladesh as Islamists and fundamentalists seek to wrest control of the country’s many institutions and hit the last nail in the coffin of its relatively new democratic journey.

Moreover, Hasina’s departure has created a power vacuum that could heighten instability as various political forces, including Islamist groups, compete for control. This situation mirrors a regional trend where Islamist movements exploit political crises to increase their influence, often resulting in substantial changes in national policies and governance structures.

BNP and its alliance with Jihadis

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has faced criticism for its religious bigotry and ties with Islamist groups. Historically, the BNP has had a complicated relationship with religion. Founded on Bangladeshi nationalism principles, which included a moderate religious stance, its alliances with Islamist parties like Jamaat-e-Islami have raised concerns, with its members openly subscribing to the puritanical version of Islam and its innate antagonism for non-believers, especially Hindus or idol-worshippers.

From 2001 to 2006, the BNP enacted policies favouring Islamist groups and conservative madrassahs, which critics argue increased the influence of Islamist factions in politics, leading to greater religious intolerance and fundamentalism. The BNP’s coalition with Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamist groups strengthened these factions’ political power, often resulting in violence against religious minorities, especially the Hindu community, perceived as supporting rival parties like the Awami League.

Additionally, the BNP’s political stance has shifted over time towards more right-wing and conservative positions, moving away from its earlier centrist and liberal positions. This shift has been marked by rhetoric and actions perceived as catering to Islamist sentiments, further alienating religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh​. The shift would inevitably lead to forced demographic change as witnessed in Pakistan, where Hindus,

Targeted attacks against Hindus in Muslim-majority Bangladesh

As the turmoil engulfs Bangladesh, Hindus residing in the country were once again subjected to targeted persecution as the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council released a list of attacks that took place on Hindu temples, houses and establishments that belonged to the Hindu community in the country. 

The attacks happened amidst the political turmoil taking place in Bangladesh. According to X handle Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus, these attacks happened within five hours. Notably, the actual number of attacks could be much higher than reported in the list below. The document has listed 54 attacks.

According to the list, in Sherpur, the house of the president of the Sribardi Upazila Youth Unity Council was attacked, vandalised and looted.

In Khulna, the houses of Shyamal Kumar Das and Swajan Kumar Das in Highgate village of Rupsa Thana area, houses of Biman Bihari Amit, president of the Khulna District Unity Council and Animesh Sarkar Rinku, president of the Youth Unity Council in Tootpara of Khulna city, house of Jayanta Gain in Amtali Banisanta, Dacope, and houses of the minority community in Darpara, Koyra were attacked, vandalised and looted.

At the time of Bangladesh’s creation in 1971, pro-Pakistani militias and armed forces killed thousands of Hindus on the pretext of their alleged support for the secession of East Pakistan. Now, over fifty-three years later, as the country faces another churn, with its secular and democratic ethos emphatically shunned, the threat of targeted persecution of Hindus and other minorities has only heightened as Islamists and their cohorts in the BNP seek to undermine secular laws governing the country in their pursuit of establishing a nation ruled by Sharia, where minorities are treated as second-class citizens, a fair game for the rampaging mobs of Islamist bloodhounds, determined to turn it into a homogenous society.

Bangabandhu museum destroyed, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman’s residence burned to ashes: How Islamists in Bangladesh are wiping out the nation’s history and identity

Shraddha Pandey
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Bangabandhu museum destroyed, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman’s residence burned to ashes: How Islamists in Bangladesh are wiping out the nation’s history and identity

Bangladesh has descended into utter chaos as Islamists have taken over the country after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned from her post and left the country. While violent protests and vandalism have been rampant since July, on the 5th of August, the violent protestors destroyed several Bangladeshi historical heritage sites in their bid to wipe out the legacy of “Bangabandhu” Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Several heritage sites associated with Bangladesh’s founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, were vandalised during the recent conflict.

On Monday, the unruly mob destroyed the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the Dhanmondi area in Dhaka. This museum was dedicated to Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1975.

Source: AFP

Rahman’s residence “Bangabandhu Bhaban” was also attacked by the protestors

Similarly, the protesters in Dhaka climbed atop a large statue of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s father and hammered the statue’s head with an axe. Who would have thought that one day the very people Mujibur Rahman sought freedom for would destroy his legacy?

Notably, back in 2020, it was reported that two Madarsa students vandalised Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s statue in Kushtia after being influenced by the anti-sculpture statements from Hefajat-e-Islam leaders Mamunul Haque and Faizul Haque. Clearly, the ideology behind the assassination of Rahman was very much active in the country over the years and has ultimately taken over Bangladesh.

The unrest, which started as a student movement against the quota system, soon witnessed the involvement of opposition parties like Jamaat-e-Islami and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), fuelling widespread chaos and destruction.

Bangladesh was established in 1971 to escape the horrors committed by Pakistan’s military and Islamist radicals during the Liberation War. The ongoing vandalism of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s legacy contrasts sharply with Pakistan’s attitude towards its historical and cultural heritage. Pakistan, motivated by Islamist fundamentalism, frequently targets and destroys its ancient heritage sites, even ancient monuments thousands of years old, because the Islamists believe idols are ‘haram’.

Interestingly, while the usual suspects describe Sheikh Hasina’s departure as a “democratic takeover” and “liberation,” it is in reality, Pakistan’s ultimate victory. After decades of teaching false history to pat its own back despite no military achievement whatsoever, Pakistan finally has a victory to boast. Bangladesh was not liberated on the 5th of August 2024, but rather trapped back under the shackles of Islamist terrorism, communal hatred, discrimination, anarchy, and destruction.

Bangladesh is becoming everything it fought against, turning back into the very Pakistan it fought against for “liberation”. In just one day, the unruly protestors vandalised the statues and buildings linked to the “Bangabandhu”.

Pakistan, since its birth in 1947 has been tirelessly wiping out its Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh heritage. The ideology, the mindset behind destruction in both countries is one, Islamic fanaticism. It is pertinent to mention here how the Islamic State destroyed the heritage sites like the ancient city walls, the Tomb of Jonah, and the Mosul Museum since they called the artefacts in this museum “idolatrous”.

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan was created out of hatred for Hindus and other non-Muslim communities and since then, its identity has always been intertwined with its hostility towards India, consistently overshadowing its extensive Hindu heritage. In its attempt to create an Islamist identity, Pakistan has neglected and even systematically destroyed ancient sites, similar to the Taliban’s infamous destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan, which shares ideological roots with certain Pakistani Islamist groups. This destruction is driven by Islamists and backed by government and Pakistani military establishments, reflecting their broader designs of cultural and religious erasure.

The Islamist mob have over the years destroyed several pre-partition era Hindu temples. OpIndia has time and again reported such incidents. Be it the 100-year-old Hanuman Temple in Pakistan’s Lyari, the desecration of the historic Hinglaj Mata Temple, or that of Mata Bahtiyani Devi Temple and more, the third or fourth-generation Islamist converts have targeted historic Hindu temples to vent out their hatred against kafirs and erase Pakistan’s Hindu history.

Other than vandalism, the ancient Hindu and Jain temples have also been taken over and repurposed for commercial use. In this vein, a Jain Temple in Lahore’s Anarkali Bazaar and the Prahladpuri Temple in Multan were damaged after the Babri structure demolition in Ayodhya. This Jain temple’s one part was later used for commercial use and in the other, a Madarsa was opened. Similarly, many churches and Sikh heritage sites have also been attacked by Islamists in Pakistan.

Back in 2021, OpIndia reported how the nine feet tall statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the first emperor of the Sikh Empire at the Lahore Fort was vandalised by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (an Islamist political party) workers. Back then, the TLP workers also chanted slogans against the former ruler of Punjab. The police informed that the attackers were of the view that it was against Islam to erect a statue of a Sikh ruler in a Muslim country.

The demolition of heritage sites is more than just a physical assault; it is a systematic attempt to obliterate the country’s cultural and historical identity. It shows an intolerant and Islamic fanatic view of the so-called “Riyasat-e-Medina” that does not allow room for the country’s ancient heritage to exist in glory.

Besides, vandalism and attack, deliberate neglect by the Pakistani authorities has also contributed in the destruction of ancient heritage sites that went to Pakistan after partition. Mohenjo-daro, one of the most important archaeological monuments of the Indus Valley Civilisation, is in catastrophic condition. Despite being a UNESCO World Heritage site, the ruins face degradation due lack of funding to ensure proper conservation. Similarly, Taxila, another UNESCO World Heritage site, once a hub of Hindu and Buddhist learning is now poorly maintained, with parts of it encroached on for illegal construction threatening its integrity.

Pakistan’s founding ideology, which was premised on an autonomous Muslim identity separate from Hindu-majority India, has evolved into a broader narrative in which antagonism towards India is a fundamental aspect. Pakistani political leaders and “Ghazwa-e-Hind enthusiasts frequently use this animosity to gain public support, divert attention away from internal issues, and justify the military’s enormous control over civilian affairs.

Following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, Bangladesh demonstrated signs that it is sliding towards Islamic fanaticism with BNP and jihadist Jamat-e-Islami set to grab power, similar to Pakistan’s political trajectory. The ousting of Hasina, who was renowned for her somewhat secular and pro-India position, represents a major shift towards a more hardline attitude.

The destruction of Mujibur Rahman’s heritage sites in Bangladesh is a cruel irony: a country founded on the need to escape Islamist tyranny is now grappling with similar elements of fanaticism and violence.

Social media is rife with Bangladeshi ‘protestors’ saying that the Quran will be the new ‘constitution’ of the country. While it may be taken as an unofficial confirmation, the demolition of Mujibur Rahman’s statue and the Bangladeshi military’s silence on this is no less than an official confirmation that Bangladesh is becoming the new Pakistan. “The East Pakistan”.

On the 25th of March, 1971, the Pakistan Army launched Operation Searchlight, a brutal crackdown on East Pakistan’s nationalist movement after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Awami League won 160 out of 162 seats in the East registering an absolute majority. He was, however, denied power. The genocide and rape of the Bengali people of the then East Pakistan was spearheaded by former Army chief General Yahya Khan. Even as per the conservative estimates, over 200,000 Bengalis were killed and in a deliberate campaign of genocidal rape, Pakistani military personnel and the Razakars raped between 200,000 and 400,000 Bengali women and girls.

Although India helped Bangladesh achieve freedom from Pakistan after the Pakistani army’s genocide of the Bengali population in the then East Pakistan, the present day Bangladesh has witnessed a surge in anti-India sentiments. Much like in Pakistan where India’s name is invoked to deflect attention from internal issues and exploit antagonism towards India to influence narratives, in Bangladesh, the anti-India BNP and JeI ran the vicious “India Out” campaign calling for boycotting Indian goods. In the latest display of hatred for India, the ‘protestors’ damaged the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) in Dhaka. As the era of Sheikh Hasina ends and the legacy of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is destroyed, with Bangladesh falling into the hands of Islamists, the country has become identical to its erstwhile Islamist oppressor.

Minorities have come under attack in Bangladesh, focus on their protection, assured Sheikh Hasina all help: EAM S Jaishankar

OpIndia Staff
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Minorities have come under attack in Bangladesh, focus on their protection, assured Sheikh Hasina all help: EAM S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a statement on the situation in Bangladesh in the Parliament on Tuesday, August 6. Speaking in Rajya Sabha first, the External Affairs Minister said that the concern about voilence and instability in the neighbouring country is shared across the political spectrum in India.

Dr Jaishankar mentioned that what is particularly worrying about the developments in Bangladesh is that minorities, their businesses and temples have come under attack at various locations in Bangladesh.

The EAM also highlighted that there have been considerable tensions, deep divides, and growing polarisation in Bangladesh politics since the last general election in January 2024.

Earlier in the day, the External Affairs Minister while briefing an all-party meeting on the Bangladesh situation told members that Sheikh Hasina had moved to India and that India has assured all possible help to the Bangladeshi leader.

Stating that the embattled former prime minister of Bangladesh Shiekh Hasina is in India and the Indian government wants to give her time to let the Indian government know what her future course of action would be.

Taking to X, Jaishankar stated, “Briefed an All-Party meeting in Parliament today about the ongoing developments in Bangladesh. Appreciate the unanimous support and understanding that was extended.”

During the meeting, Jaishankar informed the leaders that the central government was in touch with the Bangladesh Army as well. He said that it is a prevailing situation and the government will take appropriate action at the right time, according to sources.

According to sources, the leaders at the party meeting were informed that there are 20000 Indian nationals in Bangladesh.

According to sources, so far 8000 Indian nationals have returned. Jaishankar informed the meeting that the Indian government is in touch with Indian nationals and the High Commission there continues to operate.

The leaders were informed that the focus is on minorities and that they should be protected, sources from the all-party meeting told ANI. During the all-party meeting, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi inquired about India’s long-term and short-term strategy and the government stated that this was a progressive situation and they would continue to analyse it.

Rahul Gandhi also sought to know from the government on the possible involvement of a foreign hand. The central government said that all possible angles were being looked into. After being briefed by the government, Rahul Gandhi expressed his support for the measures taken in the national interest.

Bangladesh is facing a fluid political situation after Sheikh Hasina resigned from her post in the wake of mounting protests. The protests, majorly led by students demanding an end to a quota system for government jobs, took the shape of anti-government protests.

In Dhaka, the leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement have proposed an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, in a bid to address Bangladesh’s ongoing challenges.

Sheikh Hasina arrived in India on Monday evening after tendering her resignation. It is not clear if Sheikh Hasina will continue to stay in Delhi or move to another location later.

(With inputs from ANI)

Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s killer was hiding in West Bengal for 22 years using fake Indian documents, was executed in 2020: Read details

Siddhi Somani
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Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s killer was hiding in West Bengal for 22 years using fake Indian documents, was executed in 2020: Read details

As Bangladesh erupted in violence, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee appealed to the citizens to maintain peace and end violence. She, with folded hands, appealed to the citizens saying that escalating provocations would not calm the situation.

“I would appeal to all citizens of West Bengal to maintain peace and avoid all forms of provocation. I appeal to people of all communities with folded hands to remain calm and not engage in any communal behavior or take the law into their own hands,” she said. She also urged the leaders to not comment anything on social media regarding the Bangladesh situation which may disrupt peace in the state. However, the state itself has been acting against the Bangladesh government which recently got uprooted.

West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee (Hindustan Times

One of the murderers of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had been hiding in India’s West Bengal for 22 years before his arrest in the year 2020. The accused, identified as Abdul Majed, had possessed fake Indian documents and had been hiding in West Bengal’s capital city, Kolkata. Majed also confessed during his arrest that he had been hiding in West Bengal, however, he failed to provide details about his activities in hiding.

Majed, a former Bangladeshi military officer, was arrested in April 2020 after he moved to Bangladesh’s Dhaka during the COVID-19 pandemic. His arrest was welcomed by many national leaders who termed Majed’s arrest as the biggest gift to Bangladesh during that period. The accused, one of 15 awarded the death penalty by the Dhaka sessions judge’s court, was executed on 12th April 2020.

Targeted killing of Sheikh Mujibar Rahman and Bangladesh Awami League leaders

In the year 1975, Majed and other Bangladeshi military officers looted weapons from the Bengal Lancers armory after which around 21 members of Sheikh Mujibar Rahman’s party were killed by them. Only two members of Rahman’s family survived, daughter Sheikh Hasina, the recently ousted PM, and her sister Sheikh Rehana, who were in Germany at that time.

After the assassination, Majed and his associates then formed the government and decided to carry out the targeted killing of around 4 national leaders of the Bangladesh Awami League. In 1998, a Dhaka session judge’s court convicted 15 persons and sentenced them to death in the case of the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In 2001, the High Court acquitted three but affirmed the death sentences of twelve. In 2010, five persons who admitted to taking part in Rahman’s assassination were executed. Another man died of natural causes in Zimbabwe, leaving six, including Majed. Majed was executed on 12th April 2020 days after his arrest.

Accused Majed (The New Indian Express)

Majed is believed to have fled to West Bengal after Sheikh Hasina was elected as the prime minister of Bangladesh. Since then, he was residing in Kolkata using fake Indian identity documents.

Apart from Majed, two other assassins fled from Bangladesh. One identified as Noor Chowdhury fled to Canada and one Rashed Chowdhury went to the United States. Both were most wanted in Bangladesh and justice still awaits them.

As per Padma Shri Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Qazi Sajjad Ali Zahir, a decorated officer who served in the Bangladeshi Army, Sheikh Hasina, when in power, made all the efforts through requests, diplomatic channels, and meetings at the highest level to appeal to Canada and the US for their extradition, but the governments continue to shield the duo.

West Bengal: Safe den for Bangladeshi criminals

While it can be said that Canada is a haven for terrorists, murderers, and other such criminals for whom justice is waiting in their home country, the state of West Bengal has also become a den for criminals from Bangladesh. Many of the criminals who are most wanted in Bangladesh come and take refuge in the state of West Bengal.

In the year 2007, around 8 Bangladeshi criminals most wanted in their country were arrested by CID from West Bengal. These included murderers, rapists, smugglers, and even local criminals. One of these was Harris Ahmed who was wanted in 40 murder cases and dozens of extortion cases in Bangladesh. He had been hiding in West Bengal using fake identity documents and ran a garment shop during the period. Moreover, he continued to run his extortion business over the phone from Bengal.

Bangladeshi criminal arrested (Mumbai Mirror)

Tanvir-ul Islam aka Joy was also arrested from North 24-Parganas in 2007. He was wanted in Bangladesh for the 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in Dhaka that killed 24 people, including two Awami leaders.

Further, recently in the year 2023, it had come to the fore that Bangladesh Awami League MP Anwarul Azim Anar’s murderer, Howladar had been hiding in West Bengal’s Kolkata since the incident in March 2023.

As per the authorities, several criminals infiltrate Bengal and settle in the state using fake identity documents. They obtain fake documents by using their connections to local political leaders within the state. They set up their businesses, at times marry Indian women, and start living normal lives. However, they continue to commit crimes like human trafficking, smuggling, etc across the border. The pattern was exposed in the year 2007 after which the Bangladesh government and the Indian government began cracking down on the criminals and illegal infiltrators.

The CBI later revealed that Bangladeshi criminals having political implications in Dhaka were usually found to have been hiding in West Bengal.

Apart from this, for the past twenty years, crime syndicates in Bengal have been employing Bangladeshi criminals, with this trend escalating in recent years. These hired criminals from Bangladesh have been involved in serious offenses such as kidnappings for ransom and murders over the past few years. Few have been apprehended because they conceal their identities, even from the crime lords in Bengal who hire them, and flee to Bangladesh after committing the crimes. Due to their unknown identities, Bangladeshi police too have at times faced significant challenges in tracking and arresting them.

Bangladeshi criminals target villages along the border

India, taking cognizance of the situation has increased the deployment of the Border Security Forces (BSF) in the suspected areas. The reason behind such deployment is to stop illegal infiltration into the country. However, officers deployed at South Bengal Frontier Headquarters in Kolkata confirm that criminals at times cut the fences use bamboo poles to vault over the fence, and enter or exit India.

“Many portions of the border like the riverine areas are unfenced and it is humanly impossible to keep watch 24×7 on every inch of such unfenced portions of the border. Also, at times, the criminals cut through the fence or use bamboo poles to vault over the fence and enter or exit India. We manage to catch some and hand them over to the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), but most manage to evade our vigil,” the BSF officer was quoted as saying to Swarajya Mag.

BSF at South Bengal Frontier Headquarters in Kolkata (Swarajya Mag)

“They assume fake names when they come in. And once they return to their side of the border, they simply cannot be traced. They are also more fearless and display a lot of daring, perhaps because they are more desperate. The Bangladeshi criminals are also more experienced in robberies and dacoities and that expertise comes in handy here,” he adds.

These criminals target the villages along the border, rob them, and also harass them. There have been reports stating that Hindus along the border are also deliberately targeted by such criminals. The West Bengal Police however for years have possibly failed to curb the menace causing alleged trouble for the residents along the border. The local political party in the state has failed to take action against such criminals as a part of its Muslim appeasement policy. Instead, many local party leaders have been providing fake identity documents to criminals.

With the current situation in Bangladesh, the fear of increased Bangladeshi infiltration cannot be denied. The threat is expected to escalate, with security experts cautioning that it is only a matter of time. The state along with appealing for peace should concentrate on taking measures to reduce the threat of possible increased illegal infiltration. If not, Indians residing along the border might have to face the consequences, and the currently ruling Indian government would not tolerate that.

Bangladesh: Muslim community members stand in front of Hindu temples in the country to protect them from invasion by the mad Titan Thanos

Sandeep Singh
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Bangladesh: Muslim community members stand in front of Hindu temples in the country to protect them from invasion by the mad Titan Thanos

On Monday, August 5, a successful coup was orchestrated in Bangladesh which led to the removal of democratically elected PM Sheikh Hasina and installation of an interim government. Following the coup that led India’s eastern neighbours into chaos, there were speculations that the Hindu community in the country can come under attack from an alien power.

OpIndia can now exclusively report that the threat was from the Eternal–Deviant warlord from the moon Titan, Thanos. Notably, Thanos is recognised as one of the most powerful beings in the entire Universe, and he likes to destroy civilisations, and apparently, Hindu civilisation is on the top of his agenda.

However, once Bangladeshi Muslim community members came to know about the evil plans of Thanos, they decided that they will protect Hindus in the country. Bangladeshi Muslims stationed themselves outside 2 temples in the country to make sure none of the Hindu temples in the country are attacked. However, after getting their photos clicked outside those 2 temples, the Bangladeshi Muslim community members disappeared somewhere, we are trying to locate them.

However, this photo session didn’t go unnoticed, and several prominent citizens lauded them for taking a photo outside those 2 temples to stop Thanos from attacking Hindus in Bangladesh.

Several netizens took to X (formerly Twitter) to laud their bravery in conducting a photo-op outside the temples.

Thanks to these brave social media warriors, world now knows that Bangladeshi Muslims bravely stepped up to face a camera for a photo-op in order to protect the country’s Hindus from the wrath of the mad Titan Thanos.

However, not everyone agrees that the Bangladeshi Muslim community was protecting the temples from Thanos. Some were of the opinion that the Hindu temples were being protected from Darth Vader, long enough for Luke Skywalker to destroy the death star and save Bangladeshi Hindu community.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s leading newspaper Daily Star reported that Hindus and Hindu temples have been attacked in 27 districts of the country, so maybe Thanos couldn’t be stopped with a staged photo-op.

The vulgar display of naked Islamist hatred against a woman leader in Bangladesh: What awaited Sheikh Hasina had she stayed

Sanghamitra
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The vulgar display of naked Islamist hatred against a woman leader in Bangladesh: What awaited Sheikh Hasina had she stayed

On the afternoon of Monday, August 5, Bangladesh’s 5-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the country, probably never to return again. News of her tendering resignation and preparing to leave Dhaka were just pouring in when a video surfaced on social media, the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s founding father, getting down from a vehicle and embarking on a helicopter.

After weeks of violent protests in Bangladesh that started as student protests against a court-ordered quota in government jobs for the descendants of freedom fighters, after hundreds of deaths, rampant violence, and murders of police personnel at the hands of violent protestors operated by Jamat-e-Islami, Hasina probably knew her time was up when the Army turned against her.

As violent protestors filled the streets of Dhaka, marching towards the PM’s residence and the Jatiya Sangshad Bhavan, the national parliament, cards were falling fast. Just after 2 pm, ahead of reports of an address by the military chief, news came in that Sheikh Hasina has left Dhaka.

Protestors storming into Bangladesh parliament, Image captured by Naimur Rahman of The Daily Star

Within minutes, hundreds of protestors swarmed into the Ganobhavan, the official residence of the Prime Minister in Bangladesh. Those people were not there to protest, they were there to loot, vandalise and display the state of anarchy that has finally won in Bangladesh.

The pictures soon turned into a macabre dance of human depravity. Men, unhinged, uncontrollable men, with a strange glee on their faces, leaping with joy as they stormed the residence of their Prime Minister, only to barge into her rooms, loot her wardrobe, vandalise her furniture, and show to the whole world how they defile and destroy the last symbols of a shattered democracy. Dhaka fell on August 5.

Among the visuals of looted furniture, stolen sarees, and men ransacking the PM’s residence, one video stood out. A man had stolen undergarments, bras from the PM’s residence, and a mad crowd was going berserk at the sight of the undergarments. They had hoisted the man on their shoulders, and hooting, cheering as he displayed the bras as trophies.

The mad crowd cheering for the stolen bras from a woman Prime Minister’s residence was not just the shameless display of anarchy that has befallen Bangladesh, it was a macabre announcement of what awaited the woman and her family had she stayed.

The crowd was not there to mark the triumph of the people’s revolution against the elected leader, they were there to loot, rape and lynch. Had they found Hasina or any of her family members at Ganobhavan, or anywhere in Dhaka, they would have dragged them out, and lynched them to death in all the revolutionary fury, and just as it happens everywhere when law and order fails, the women would have been raped first.

The men hooting and cheering, waving the bras as trophy were declaring their naked intention, that they didn’t just want Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, they wanted her humiliated and hurt. The Islamist ideology that has fanned and mobilised these protests hates democracy and equality, it prides itself in keeping women under its boots. Islamists loathe a strong democratic leader who prioritises growth and development over radical Islam, they hate it even more when that leader is a woman.

Homes burnt, shops looted, temples vandalised and more: Muslim mobs in Bangladesh wreak havoc on minority Hindus, over 54 instances of attacks

OpIndia Staff
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Homes burnt, shops looted, temples vandalised and more: Muslim mobs in Bangladesh wreak havoc on minority Hindus, over 54 instances of attacks

On Monday (5th August), the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council released a list of attacks that took place on Hindu temples, houses and establishments that belonged to the Hindu community in the country.

The attacks happened amidst the political turmoil taking place in Bangladesh. According to X handle Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus, these attacks happened within five hours. Notably, the actual number of attacks could be much higher than reported in the list below. The document has listed 54 attacks.

According to the list, in Sherpur, the house of the president of the Sribardi Upazila Youth Unity Council was attacked, vandalised and looted.

In Khulna, the houses of Shyamal Kumar Das and Swajan Kumar Das in Highgate village of Rupsa Thana area, houses of Biman Bihari Amit, president of the Khulna District Unity Council and Animesh Sarkar Rinku, president of the Youth Unity Council in Tootpara of Khulna city, house of Jayanta Gain in Amtali Banisanta, Dacope, and houses of the minority community in Darpara, Koyra were attacked, vandalised and looted.

In Feni, the Durga Temple was attacked. In Dinajpur, the Fulthala cremation ground was forcefully occupied. Five temples including Kali Mandir in Parbatipur were vandalised. Minority community houses were attacked and looted in Setabganj Bochakganj and Dhalla village of Chirirbandar Thana area.

House and office of businessman Deepak Saha, leader of Puja Celebration Council in Lakshmipur was attacked, vandalised and looted. The houses of Nakul Kumar and Suhsanta in Agarupur village of Kuliarchar in Koshorganj were burnt. The House of Ujjal Chakraborty in Rauzan of Chattogram was attacked and looted.

In Jashore, three houses in Dhopaidi Palpara village of Abhayanagar were burnt. 22 shops including the warehouse of Babul Saha vandalised and looted in Narikel Bariya of Bagharpara, minority homes were attacked in Keshabpur, Bechpara and Barmanpara.

In Satkhaira, minority shops were looted in Kolaroa, the house of Biswajit Sadhu, president of the District Unity Council was attacked, looted and burnt and the house of Dr Subrata Ghosh, central assistant organizational secretary of the Unity Council, was attacked and burnt.

In Shayestaganj Bazaar, Habiganj, there was a violent attack, vandalism, and looting at the shop of Asit Baran Das, the president of the Upazila Unity Council. Minority homes in Lohagara, Narail, were subjected to an attack that included vandalism, looting, and harassment, causing significant distress and damage.

Bogra witnessed multiple incidents of violence. In Tilpatti, Bargola, 5-7 minority shops were attacked, vandalised, and looted. Similarly, the house of Dr Gautam Kumar Mondal in Sahapukur village, Dupchanchia Upazila, was attacked and looted.

In Patuakhali, the Radha Govinda Temple in Kuakata was attacked and vandalised. The house of Ananta Mukherjee was attacked, vandalised, and looted. Minority homes in wards 2 and 3 of the Sadar, Panchagarh, were attacked, vandalised, and looted.

The house of Sahadev Roy in Sonadia, Hatiya, Noakhali, was attacked and looted. In Thakurgaon, minority homes in the Sadar were attacked, vandalised, and looted. Additionally, in ward 2 of Pirganj, the cremation temple was attacked and burnt.

Jhenaidah saw extensive violence with ongoing attacks, vandalism, and looting at the homes of 10 minority families in Chaklapara municipality. Minority shops in Kotchandpur were also attacked and lotted.

In Hathuria, Bera Thana, and Pabna, minority homes were attacked, vandalised, and looted. In Nilphamari, minority homes in Bamunia Union, Domar Upazila, were attacked, vandalised, and looted. There was an attempted attack on minority homes in the Barakali Bari area.

Additionally, the house of journalist Dulal Saha in the Sadar was also attacked, vandalised, and looted. In Shariatpur, the Dhanuka Temple in the Sadar was vandalised. Nearby minority homes were attacked, vandalised, and looted.

The house of Amiya Prasad in Panchagram Union, Sadar, Lalmonirhat, was attacked, vandalised, and looted. In Mymensingh, a mob attacked the house of Shyamal Pal in Ward 32 of Shambhuganj.

In Netrokona the Ramakrishna Mission and ISKCON temple in the Sadar were attacked and vandalised. Minority homes were also attacked, vandalised, and looted by the mob. Minority homes in the Sadar, Munshiganj, were attacked, vandalised, and looted.

In Faridganj Upazila, Chandpur, the house of Haripada Das was attacked, vandalised, and looted. An attempted attack and vandalism were reported at the house of Ram Doctor in Araihazar, Narayanganj.

Visuals of attack on Hindus went viral on social media

Apart from the list, there have been several videos and images that went viral on social media of attacks on Hindus’ houses, businesses and temples in Bangladesh in guise of violence against the government. OpIndia could not verify the authenticity of all the videos.

X handle Raju Das (RajuDas777) shared several posts of such videos. In one of the videos, mob was seen attacking the house of Bamunia Palpara Hindus in Gabtali Upazila of Bogra District, Bangladesh.

In another post, a video of a Hindu girl in distress was shared by Raju Das in Mathbaria police station area in Pirojpur district of Bangladesh. The girl was seen pleading for help in the video in Bangla.

In yet another video, Shani Temple in Navgraha Bari in Chittagong was burnt by the mobsters.

A Hindu temple was attacked in Shibpur Upazila, Narsingdi District at around 5 PM.

A Spokesperson for ISKCON India, Yudhistir Govinda Das, said in a post, As per the info I have received, one of our ISKCON center (rented) in Meherpur (Khulna division) was burnt including with the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra Devi. 3 devotees who lived in the center some how managed to escape & survived.”

In a video shared by Visegrad 24, Islamists were seen surrounding houses of Hindus and threatening people inside.

According to Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star, houses and businesses belonging to the Hindu community were attacked in 27 districts. According to the report, the homes of Pradip Chandra Roy and Muhin Roy were vandalised and looted in Telipara village and Thana road, respectively in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.

In Kaliganj upazila, the homes of four Hindu families in Chandrapur village were attacked. 12 Hindu houses in Hatibandha upazila’s Purbo Sardubi village were burnt while several Hindu houses were vandalised and looted in Bandhavgarh’s Sadar upazila. Ten Hindu houses were attacked in Dinajpur and a Temple was attacked in Railbazarhat.

Khansama upazila witnessed attacks on three Hindu homes. In Khulna, the houses of Oikya Parishad leaders and others were ransacked. Barishal’s Gouranadi saw mobs attacking Aditri Adhikary’s house. At the same time, similar incidents were reported in Bogura, Patuakhali, Sherpur, Narsingdi, Kishoreganj, Chattogram, Jashore, Satkhira, Habiganj, and Narail, with incidents of looting, vandalism and arson of houses, shops and temples belonging to Hindu community.

While political landscape of Bangladesh is witnessing one of the toughest times in history, Hindus and other minority communities are the most vulnerable as Islamist mobsters are taking advantage of the situation to attack them. Amidst these attacked, left-liberals and Islamists have been seen either denying or justifying the attacks.

Pakistani ISI’s hand in Hasina out campaign in Bangladesh? Active players who orchestrated and fueled social unrest to topple democracy in India’s neighbourhood

Paurush Gupta
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Pakistani ISI’s hand in Hasina out campaign in Bangladesh? Active players who orchestrated and fueled social unrest to topple democracy in India’s neighbourhood

As Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina tendered her resignation on Monday and fled the country to save her life, Pakistani social media flooded with celebrations over the fall of a democratic and pro-New Delhi government in India’s neighbourhood. The development comes after violent rioters created a social unrest all across Bangladesh in which over 300 people lost their lives. 

However, there is an uncanny nexus which reveals that the infamous Pakistani Intelligence Agency ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) played a covert hand in orchestrating and fueling anti-government unrest in Bangladesh and furthered the Hasina out campaign. The ISI played an active role in fomenting and fueling violent protests to create political tensions and instability in Bangladesh. In addition to the ISI, the major opposition party, Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP) and a few other key players also led the charge to topple democracy in their country.

Here is who the ISI executed the Hasina out campaign and how major players orchestrated this regime change operation in India’s neighbourhood –

Son of former president Ziaur Rahman and former PM Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman who serves as Chairman of BNP; a history sheeter who has served life sentences for masterminding grenade attacks on Sheikh Hasina

Businessman turned Politician, Tarique Rahman is the current acting chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and has been at the helm of affairs of the party since February 2018. Rahman is the eldest son of former president Ziaur Rahman and former Prime minister Khaleda Zia. He has been active in politics for a long time and became active in party affairs in early 2000s when his Mother was serving as the country’s Prime Minister. 

He has a criminal record and was served life sentences earlier by the Bangladesh courts. In 2013, Rahman was acquitted in a money laundering case as a Dhaka court gave him relief. However, when the state appealed against the Dhaka court’s ruling, the High Court sentenced him to seven years in prison. 

In February 2018, Rahman was served a 10 years jail term and his mother, Khaleda Zia was awarded five years imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

On 21st October 2018, a special tribunal sentenced him to life imprisonment charging him as the mastermind behind a dastardly grenade attack on a rally of the then-opposition leader Sheikh Hasina on 21st August 2004. He was awarded a life sentence three times and 20 years imprisonment for two cases of murder and under sections of the Explosives Act. 

On 4th February 2021, another Bangladeshi court sentenced him to two years imprisonment in a defamation case for making derogatory remarks against the Father of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

In another case over default of payment, a court fined him Tk10,000, and awarded him six months in prison.  

Bangladeshi media reports had earlier pointed out his links with the Pakistani ISI. It is being alleged that he orchestrated plans with ISI from his base in London. As Rahman is the current BNP chief, these ISI plans were executed in Bangladesh to create social unrest and materialise Hasina out campaign. 

Bangladesh officials had earlier claimed they had evidence that he met ISI officials in Saudi Arabia, alluding to an active involvement of the ISI with the BNP leader.

Additionally, he actively posted through his social media handles to fuel the social unrest and instigate protesters even after the Supreme Court accepted the major demands put forth by the protesters initially. However, the orchestrated protests didn’t die down after their demands were fulfilled, alluding to a sinister ploy behind the protests which soon turned violent and started targeting the democratically elected government.

Another active player in this nexus that led the Hasina out campaign include Jamaat-e-Islami.

Jamaat-e-Islami

The Bangladesh government, through gazette notification, had banned ultra-Islamist and Pakistan-linked Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and its student wing Chhatra Shibir as terrorist organisations under section 18/1 of Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009. 

Still, its student wing which is allegedly backed by Pakistan’s ISI incited violence in the name of student protest and provoked it to turn violent and direct it against the democratically elected government. It fuelled unrest by openly supporting anti-government protests and provoked the recent turmoil and challenged the authorities’ efforts to maintain stability.

It is an open secret that the Pakistan’s army and ISI had always wanted to destabilise Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government and ensure that opposition BNP comes back to power through protests and street violence.  

Jamaat-e-Islami was founded by Muslim Brotherhood leader Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi with the notorious agenda of Islamic conquest and “bringing the world under the flag of Islam”.

A few years ago, the International Crimes Tribunals in Bangladesh described JeI’s role during the war of independence in 1971 as an active cohort of Pakistani occupation forces.

Meanwhile several OSINT handles operating from Pakistan, initiated and amplified fake news on social media platforms actively used in Bangladesh to provoke Bangladeshi citizens and create an anarchic situation. Additionally, Pakistan-based OSINT handles supported prominent anti-Bangladesh social media handles like @Revot_71, one of the most prominent handles that fueled protest and instigated Bangladeshis to carry out Hasina out campaign. This handle alone posted more than 500 provocative posts against the Sheikh Hasina Govt in the garb of recent ‘student protest’.  This handle, @Revot_71, is withheld in India.

Incidentally, such Bangladeshi handles which led the charge to topple the democratic government, have linkages with Chinese followers (seemingly bot or deliberately created to fuel social unrest in Bangladesh) as well as suspicious followers from Middle East and other Islamic countries that have an adversarial view towards India. 

‘My family is done saving Bangladesh’: Sheikh Hasina’s son says the country can now handle its own problems and his mother will never return

OpIndia Staff
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‘My family is done saving Bangladesh’: Sheikh Hasina’s son says the country can now handle its own problems and his mother will never return

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said his mother would not make a political comeback as she is “deeply disappointed” by the uprising against her leadership despite her efforts for the betterment of Bangladesh, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Joy, who served as an official adviser to the former prime minister until Monday, said in an interview with a British public service broadcaster’s Newshour program that Sheikh Hasina had been contemplating resignation since Sunday and had left the country for her safety following pressure from her family.

“She has turned Bangladesh around. When she took over power it was considered a failing state. It was a poor country. Until today it was considered one of the rising tigers of Asia,” Joy said, defending his mother’s record in office, Dhaka Tribune reported.

While addressing allegations of excessive force against protesters, Joy said that the government’s response had been justified given the violence faced by law enforcement.

“You’ve had policemen beaten to death – 13 just yesterday. So what do you expect the police to do when mobs are beating people to death?” he said.

Bangladesh is facing a fluid political situation with the country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigning from her post in the wake of mounting protests. The protests, majorly by students demanding an end to a quota system for government jobs, took the shape of anti-government protests.

At least 95 people, including at least 14 police officers, died and hundreds of people were injured in clashes in Dhaka on Sunday, local media outlet Prothom Alo reported.

Joy also said that his family has survived three coups and they are tired of saving Bangladesh.

“My family has been through this three times, 3 coups, after this, we are done. We are tired of saving Bangladesh. Bangladesh can handle its own problem now. It’s all our problem,” Joy said.

Bangladesh PM Hasina arrived in India on Monday evening after tendering her resignation in the wake of mounting protests in Dhaka. It is not clear if the Bangladeshi Prime Minister will stay in Delhi or move to another location. Reports in media outlets in Bangladesh have speculated that Sheikh Hasina may proceed to London.

The Cabinet Committee on Security met on Monday at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg. In the meeting, PM Modi was briefed about the situation in Bangladesh.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were present in the meeting. Moreover, senior officials were also present.

After landing at the Hindon Air Base, Sheikh Hasina held discussions with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at the Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad on the present situation in Bangladesh and her future course of action, sources said.

Indian Air Force and security agencies are providing security to her and she is being moved to a safe location, the sources said.

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar briefed PM Modi about the current political situation.

Moreover, celebrations and protests were reported from across Dhaka and Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina left the country accompanied by her sister.

After Hasina left the country, many people entered the Ganabhaban, the residence of the Prime Minister. Prothom Alo reported that people were seen decamping with various items from public buildings.

A crowd was also noticed inside the Parliament building and people were seen taking things from inside the Parliament building as well.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh newspaper Prothom Alo reported that Awami League’s Dhaka district office was set on fire by the agitators. The agitators started the fire around 4 pm on Monday.

The agitators also set on fire Awami League president Sheikh Hasina’s office at 3/A Dhanmondi in Dhaka. Protesters were seen chanting slogans and celebrating the news of Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.

Amid the intensified protest in Bangladesh, Shahjalal International Airport also closed its operations for six hours, reported Bangladesh local media ProthomAlo.

Prothom Alo also reported that Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman will soon hold direct talks with student-teacher representatives in the country.

Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman, in a televised address today, also said that this is a period of political transition and an interim government will be formed.

Nahid Islam, a coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, said that the outline of the interim national government will be formulated within the next 24 hours.

Moreover, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia called on people from all walks of life across Bangladesh to remain calm amid unrest, following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, Dhaka Tribune reported.

This was communicated in a press release issued on Monday by Shamsuddin Didar, an official from the BNP chairperson’s press wing.

I swear on Quran that I’ll kill you: Mohammad Ayan stabbed to death inside Madrasa days after verbal argument with a fellow student; Police arrest 12-year-old accused

राहुल पाण्डेय
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I swear on Quran that I’ll kill you: Mohammad Ayan stabbed to death inside Madrasa days after verbal argument with a fellow student; Police arrest 12-year-old accused

On the intervening night of 1-2 August, minor Mohammad Ayan was stabbed to death inside a madrasa in Balrampur district of Uttar Pradesh. On Sunday (4th August), the Police arrested another minor who was also studying in the same madrasa. During the investigation, Police found out that a few days earlier, verbal arguments broke out between Mohammad Ayan and the accused minor. The earlier heated argument is said to be the reason behind the murder. 

The incident took place in the Tulsipur police station area of Balrampur district. There is a madrasa named Jamiya Naimiya Arbi College on the Etawah Road just a few kilometers away from the Nepal border. The 12-year-old Mohammad Ayan was studying in Class 2nd and taking religious education from this madrasa. On the intervening night of 1st and 2nd August, he was brutally stabbed to death. Subsequently, his father lodged a Police complaint in this matter. Based on his complaint, the Police registered a case under section 103 (3) of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and initiated an investigation.

The deceased madrasa student was a resident of Jarwa police station area of Balrampur district. During the investigation, it was found that another 12-year-old student, who is a resident of Balrampur district, also takes religious education in the same madrasa. Around 5-6 days back, Mohammad Ayan had an altercation with the accused and he hurled abuses at him. 

It is being said that after the Isha Namaz, Mohammad Ayan swore on the Quran that before the night of Jumma (Friday), he would kill the accused. The accused took this threat seriously as the victim swore on the Quran inside the Mosque. He thought why he should not go ahead first and kill the victim. With this intention, he bought a knife and hid it in his suitcase. 

On the night of 1st August, he went to room number 15 inside the madrasa with a knife. There, the victim was sleeping with other madrasa students.

During police interrogation, the accused said that when he was sure that everyone was asleep, he put a pillow on the victim’s face and neck to silence his screams. Meanwhile, the accused stabbed the victim multiple times in the stomach with the knife he had brought along with him. Sensing that there was no motion in victim’s body for a long time, the accused minor student quietly left from there. While leaving, he covered the body of the deceased with a bedsheet.

The accused then came to his room and removed his blood stained clothes and hid them in a suitcase. After changing his clothes, he started roaming around in the campus. 

During initial interrogation, the accused student tried to mislead the police but later he revealed everything. The accused madrasa student has been arrested. Based on the information he gave, the police also recovered his blood stained clothes. 

Further investigation and other necessary legal action is underway. 

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