1 more held over Dinajpur temple attack

An armed man was detained from Birganj upazila in Dinajpur this morning in connection with the attack that took place at a temple in the district yesterday.

The detainee was identified as Mozammel Haque, 28, who hailed from Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur Police Superintendent Ruhul Amin told our district correspondent.

Seeing suspicious movement of the youth in Shingra Shalbagan area, locals encircled the area and informed police around 10:30am. Later, Mozammel fired several gunshots to make way for his escape, leaving one Rafiqul Islam injured, the police official informed.

Twenty eight bullets were recovered from Mozammel’s possession, he added.

Police rushed to the spot immediately and detained him, while injured Rafiqul was admitted to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, reports our local correspondent.

Meanwhile, people of the Hindu community formed a human chain in front of Dinajpur Press Club protesting yesterday’s attack and demanded immediate arrest and punishment of the attackers.

Earlier last night, unidentified gunmen hurled a crude bomb inside a Hindu temple in Dinajpur and opened fire at its entrance, injuring two people.

Read more: 2 hurt in Dinajpur temple gun attack

Following the attack, locals caught one of the attackers – Safayet Hossain – while he was fleeing the spot.

The incident triggered panic among the Hindus in the area as it comes just five days after the bomb attack at Kantaji temple in the same upazila.

On November 30, Birendranath Roy, a priest of Iskcon, was shot at Ranibandar village of Chirirbandar upazila in Dinajpur, and criminals shot Piero Parolari, 67, an Italian doctor and priest, in Mirzapur area of Dinajpur town on November 18.