Cox's Bazaar, Oct 05 (bdnews24.com)—National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Mizanur Rahman on Friday demanded that policemen tasked with maintaining law and order where religious zealots ran riot in Cox's Bazaar be arrested and investigated.
He made the demand after blaming police for allowing the riot to take place as he visited Ramu Upazila.
Bigots set ablaze at least seven temples and 30 houses and shops owned by the Buddhist minorities in the night of Sep 29, the first in a series of hate attacks that took place in three other upazilas, Teknaf and Ukhia of the district and Patia of Chittagong the next day.
"I have come to learn during my visit that processions were taken out and rallies were held before the arson had taken place. The administration had enough time to prepare for facing (the situation). Police administration has failed to ensure security to the Buddhist community people," Rahman said to journalists after the visit.
"Instead, the police had asked people of this community not to worry. But they did not patrol the area. Police failed miserably," Rahman added.
He thought only withdrawing policemen responsible for ensuring security in the area was not enough. All of those responsible policemen should be arrested and investigated.
"It was proved that the Ramu incident was pre-planned. It is inefficiency of our intelligence agencies if they did not have information about the event to unfold beforehand. Then why are we spending money on this inefficient department?" he questioned.
"Had they had the information beforehand, why were they not prepared to prevent the incident happening? With due respect, I want to pose these questions to the government and the Home Minister," he added.
Last Wednesday, Rahman had cautioned the government against its intelligence agencies failing to thwart the pre-planned communal riot' in Cox's Bazaar.
bdnews24.com/corr/eh/bd/1808h
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