Police, local admin were negligent: ASK

Local police and administration were negligent in carrying out their responsibility to control the situation and prevent attacks on the Hindu community in Noagaon village of Sunamganj's Shalla upazila on March 17, a leading rights organisation said yesterday.

Ain o Salish Kendra made the observation after its two-member fact-finding team visited the area on March 19.

Many of the affected people complained that law enforcers on March 16 (a day before the attack) repeatedly assured people of the Hindu community that there was no reason to be fearful. Despite this, the attack was carried out.

The attack could have been avoided if law enforcers took coordinated steps to protect the community, ASK said in a press statement.

"It is not understandable to anyone why the administration did not tighten security but relied on verbal assurance," it said, adding that it thinks the lack of coordination by the administration contributed to such a crime.

The rights body demanded to hold local police and administration accountable through proper probe of their role during and before the attack.

Even two days after the incident on March 19, when the team visited the village, the affected people were not sure whether they were safe at all, ASK added.

The attack left seven temples damaged and almost all the families in the area affected, it added.

ASK demanded to bring the attacker to book, ensure security to the community and compensate them.