Panchagarh Correspondent: Six separate cases have been registered in Panchagarh in connection with police-worshiper clashes and rumor-mongering of arson and vandalism at the annual Jalsa of the Ahmadiyya (Qadiani) community. Police said that 81 people have been arrested in these cases till Monday (March 6) morning.
According to the police, four sub-inspectors, a man named Osman Ali, and a RAB officer filed the cases at the Sadar police station as plaintiffs. Hundreds of thousands of people have been accused in these cases.
Earlier, on March 3, Panchagarh was abuzz with the annual Jalsa of the Ahmadiyya (Qadiani) community. After the Friday prayers, Ahmadiyyas took out a procession from different mosques in the district city with various demands, including a three-day jalsa bandh.
Called by Samilit Khatme Nabuwat Preservation Parishad, the protest marches started coming from in front of Panchagarh Central Mosque towards Chowrangi Intersection in large scale. When the police stopped them, the clash started. The worshipers attacked the police and started throwing bricks. Meanwhile, the police also fired tear gas and rubber bullets. In the meantime, some sections of the protestors vandalized and set fire to various areas of the district city. They vandalized the police and BGB vehicles and set fire to the traffic police office. Besides, another group took the goods from four Ahmadiyya shops in Panchagarh market and set them on fire. Besides, several of their houses were set on fire.
One member of the Qadiani community and one of the worshipers were killed in the incident. Later, the situation returned to normal when Jalsa was suspended around 9 p.m.
Meanwhile, Panchagarh city became hot again after last Saturday evening. Common people became angry with the rumor that “the Ahmadiyya community killed two people by slitting their throats’. With sticks in hand, they split into two and started running towards Ahmednagar and Tulardanga. At that time, a group of people broke the shutters of a shoe shop called Walker Showroom in the Kadamtala area of Panchagarh Bazar and looted the goods. Meanwhile, at around 10:30 p.m., a mob set fire to a microbus in the Truck Terminal area of Panchagarh Municipality.
Panchagarh Superintendent of Police S. M. Sirajul Huda said six cases have been filed in the Jalsa of the Ahmadiyya community. A total of 81 people have been arrested since 8 a.m. on Monday. Efforts are on to identify and arrest the rest of the accused.
