A key suspect and his accomplice accused of fanning communal hatred on social media and instigating the recent violence against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh have confessed to their crime in a pre-trial hearing, a court official has said. Mandal’s accomplice Rabiul Islam is a 36-year-old cleric, who has been accused of arson and looting. Islam helped Mandal instigate Muslims in the village through announcements on the loudspeaker on Friday, the official added. Attacks on Hindus have been reported in Bangladesh during the Durga Puja festivities after an alleged blasphemous post on social media went viral on October 13. Last week, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina instructed her Home Minister to initiate immediate action against those who incited violence using religion as she asked people not to trust anything on social media without fact-checking.

Source: bd News24 October 25, 2021 09:27 UTC