Police in Chittagong today blamed Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, for plotting to create communal riots for ousting the government. 

Hafiz Akhter, superintendent of police (SP) in Chittagong district, said the Shibir men tore pages of the holy Quran in Satkania and Lohagara upazila of Chittagong as part of their plot.

According to police, devotees found pages of holy the Quran in several mosques in Lohagara on January 14. A few days later, similar incidents happened in around 10 mosques in Satkania upazila.

Following the incidents, the law enforcers with the help of the locals picked up four Shibir activists in different parts of Satkania and Dhemsha areas between January 21 and January 23.

SP Hafiz revealed the information at a press conference held at Chittagong District Police Headquarters early this afternoon, reports our Chittagong correspondent.

He claimed that the activists of Shibir, student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, had committed the crime as part of their plan to create anarchy in the country for ousting the government.

The police official said the Shibir men confessed to their crime before a Chittagong court.

After tearing the pages of the holy Quran, the Shibir activists posted the pictures in their Facebook pages, additional superintendent of police (ASP) Imran Bhuiyan said at the press conference.

"Many minority groups of people live in the areas where the pages of holy Quran were found. And the doors of the mosques in the areas usually remain open all the time," said the ASP.

It was their plan to propagate that the people from other communities are doing the activities, he added.

The arrestees were identified as Shibir's Demsha union unit President Md Riadul Islam Niloy, its Satkania (east) unit President Raihan Uddin Md Asad Ullah, its activists Md Arman and Aminul Islam Tipu.

Following the arrests, two cases were filed with Lohagara and Satkania police stations in this connection.

Upon interrogation by police, the arrestees said, as per the direction of senior leaders, Riazul Islam Niloy held a meeting with other Shibir men at a mosque in Demsha union on January 9 and formed two-member committees for each mosque, said the SP. 

Police got a list of the Shibir men who participated in the crime, said SP Hafiz adding that the law enforcers are continuing the drive to arrest the other Shibir activists.