At least 3 killed in clashes in Bangladesh’s Khagrachhari amid protests
At least three people were killed and several others injured Sunday in heavy gunfire and clashes in Khagrachhari, a hill district in southeastern Bangladesh, officials said. The violence erupted in Guimara subdistrict during protests over a reported rape case, despite emergency restrictions imposed under Section 144. The Home Ministry said in a statement that a major and 12 other army personnel, the officer-in-charge of Guimara police station along with two other policemen, and several civilians were wounded in the unrest. Authorities expressed sorrow over the deaths and vowed that those responsible would face legal action. “No perpetrator will be spared,” the ministry said. Following the clashes, images and videos circulated on social media showing fires at shops and buildings in Ramsu Bazaar, a marketplace known to the Marma community. Activists linked to the Jumma Students’ Movement alleged that homes and shops belonging to hill people were torched. Local Bengali groups, however, blamed armed ethnic organizations for the violence. Reports that army personnel had been attacked circulated widely online in the early afternoon, though neither the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) nor district officials confirmed those claims. Khagrachhari’s deputy commissioner, A.B.M. Iftekharul Islam Khondker, told the BBC that he and the superintendent of police had tried to reach Guimara after the violence began, but road blockades by protesters prevented them from arriving by 5 p.m. Later in the evening, regional police chief Ahsan Habib Palash said the situation was “under control.”
Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja amid theme row, police friction
The 90th edition of Santosh Mitra Square’s Durga Puja, themed on “Operation Sindoor,” has drawn massive crowds since its inauguration by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday. The theme commemorates India’s cross-border strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after a militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam in April that killed 26 civilians. BJP councillor Sajal Ghosh, the general secretary of the puja committee, said the theme was meant to awaken patriotism and pay tribute to the armed forces. “Operation Sindoor is the voice of every Indian’s heart, showcasing our armed forces’ strength. Through this pandal, we wanted to pay tribute,” Ghosh said. But the festivities quickly sparked friction with police. Ghosh told reporters Saturday that “non-cooperation” from police may force organizers to close the puja. He alleged that roads had been blocked with barricades, civic volunteers were withheld and restrictions were imposed on sound systems and stalls. “They know there will be agitation and commotion. In such conditions it is not possible for us to continue puja,” Ghosh said, warning that if pressure continued, organizers could switch off the lights and cover the Durga idol’s face with black cloth. He even suggested the idol’s immersion might take place before schedule. The committee claimed it had secured permissions from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, PWD and police, and had already installed 30 to 35 of the 60 CCTVs required. But Ghosh alleged that the state government was “targeting” the festival, despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s repeated claim that “Utsav is for all.”
