"I am really shocked with the incident that happened yesterday in our area; it is hurting me every moment. I humbly request everyone to refrain from doing anything that might threaten peace and discipline," Mashrafe said in a Facebook post."Please don't tarnish Narail's thousand-year-old heritage of communal harmony in a bit by falling in the trap of those who want to destroy it."A mob organised by Islamists allegedly attacked a Hindu temple and also vandalised several houses belonging to the minority community, the police said on Saturday.The violence in Digholia village took place on Friday evening over a Hindu boy's social media post. A house belonging to a Hindu family was also set afire. Police had fired warning shots to disperse the mob, said police inspector Haran Chandra Paul.While under the country's Penal Code, any person who has a deliberate or malicious intention of hurting religious sentiments is liable to imprisonment, the Jamaat-e-Islami has made previous attempts to create a law authorising the death penalty for blasphemy, like Pakistan.When Sheikh Hasina had formed her government, she firmly rejected calls to strengthen blasphemy laws, reaffirming that the country is a secular democracy. The Prime Minister also defended the law in the current form.Her government is facing pressure from Pakistan-paid and hardline Islamist politicians in this regard, amid allegations of blasphemy causing outbreaks of violence and instability and being used by extremists to advance their own political agenda.
--IANS sumi/vd
(Disclaimer: This post has been auto published from IANS news agency without any modification to the text and has not been reviewed by editor)
