Second key suspect behind Bangladesh violence arrested

Shaikat Mandal, one of the masterminds behind the October 17 mayhem in Pirganj sub-district of northwestern Rangpur, and his accomplice was arrested from Gazipur, on the outskirts of Dhaka on Saturday, Elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officials said.

Mandal had gone live on Facebook, which incited people and triggered a wave of violence, a RAB official said. At least 70 houses and shops of the Hindus were torched in attacks at Pirganj following Mandal’s Facebook post on October 17. His arrest comes a day after police had nabbed Iqbal Hossain, 35, the key suspect from Cox Bazar area, and the man who had allegedly placed the Quran at a Durga Puja venue in Cumilla.

Hossain is currently placed under a seven-day police remand as other security and intelligence agencies would join to interrogate him. So far, police have arrested nearly 600 people from various parts of the country for inciting violence against the Hindus during the Durga Puja festivities.

In a related development, Mohammad Fayez, who was charged under Bangladesh’s Digital Security Act (DSA) for inciting people via social media was sent to jail on Friday.