At least seven persons were injured following an attack on a Hindu temple, allegedly over a land dispute, in Sylhet city this afternoon.
One of the injured was a staff of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) temple while six others were pedestrians, our local correspondent reports quoting Faisal Mahmud, deputy commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police.
“Using microphone in the nearby mosque during today’s Juma prayer, locals who allegedly grabbed a land property of Iskcon instigated the Muslim devotees for the attack,” alleged Iskcon Principal Navadwipa Dwija Gauranga Das Brahmachari.
The injured persons are identified as Syed, 24, Babul Ahmed, 37, Saju Akter, 28, Arif, 22, Sumon, 17, and Jebun Nahar Sheerin, former female councilor of Sylhet City Corporation, and Iskcon staff Rajendra Choudhury, 27, said Monoj Choudhury, duty doctor of Osmani Medical College Hospital.
Of them, Babul Ahmed and Nebun Nahar sustained rubber bullet injuries, the doctor added.
According to the witnesses, a group of people hurled brick chunks on the temple after Friday’s Juma prayer around 1:30pm. Rajendra, a staff of the Iskcon temple, received injuries during the attack.
The attack took place over a matter of misunderstanding among the group of Muslim devotees, DC Faisal said.
Police rushed to the spot and fired 15 teargas shells and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control, leaving six pedestrians injured.
Additional policemen were deployed to avoid any further unwanted incident, DC said.
Daily Star
