Amid reports of widespread and targeted violence against the Hindus in Bangladesh, a section of them reportedly gathered at the country's zero line along the Indian border near Hatibandha after rumours swirled that Indian leaders would address them.
The incident reportedly happened near the northern border of Lalmonirhat on Friday, according to Bangladesh's website Prothom Alo. This area borders the Sitalkuchi fenced land border area of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal.
Local people confirmed gathering near the barbed wire fence, anticipating Indian leaders who would talk to them. They returned after a long wait when nobody other than BSF members showed up.
On hearing about the members of the Hindu community gathering near the zero line, senior officials of Bangladesh administration and local representatives reached the spot. They called upon the villagers to return home, promising to ensure their security. However, they continued to gather at the Khorpo River of the zero line near the barbed wire fence till Friday evening.
The report added that some people even tried to enter India but were stopped by the BSF. The local administration along with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) later clarified that the whole rumours were triggered by a Facebook post on Thursday night urging the Hindu community members to come to the area for a meeting. "It seems thousands of people of the Hindu community reached there from different upazilas due to this status," a local people's representative Abul Kashem told Prothom Alo.
Hindu community leader at Uttar Gotamari area Sanjit told Prothom Alo that people started to gather at the border in the morning. "I got up from bed and saw thousands of people gathered near the barbed wire of our border. I talked to them, understood that they gathered there to speak to India," he added. Some Hindus who gathered there alleged that some miscreants vandalised and torched their houses.
A few of the local people who gathered there wanted to talk to the BSF officials.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ullah and police Superintendent Saiful Islam reached the spot to talk with the people gathered there. "I talked with them. None could make any specific allegation. Some were alleging that they were persecuted. We tried to assuage their fears," Islam told Prothom Alo.
The incident comes as Hindus organised a street protest in Bangladesh's city of Chittagong seeking safety for their lives, properties and places of worship. They claimed Bangladesh was their motherland and they won't go anywhere.
They also sought the formation of a separate ministry for minorities; the enactment and implementation of strict laws to prevent all forms of attacks on minorities; and the allocation of 10 per cent of parliamentary seats for the minorities.