Agartala, Oct 20: Bangladesh postpones Film Festival in Agartala after the public rage. They have met the Bangladesh assistant high commissioners in Agartala and Guwahati and urged them to request their government to ensure action against those who attacked the minorities, vandalized Durga Puja pandals, and properties belonging to non-Muslim families. The film festival was scheduled to commence on Thursday.
As per media reports, the mob violence erupted in Comilla earlier last week, after unconfirmed posts went viral on social media about the alleged desecration of the Quran at a Durga Puja venue, following which Hindu temples were vandalized.
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In an attack on the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh, a mob attacked the ISKCON temple in the Noakhali area in which a devotee was killed.
Bangladesh Assistant High Commission Tripura Obaidur Hossain said that the “Bangladesh Film Festival was to be held in Agartala from 21 October to 23 October. The ceremony was supposed to take place under the supervision of the Government of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh High Commission. We had made almost all the preparations for this program. Only a few things were left to be arranged. But in view of the incident that happened in Bangladesh in the meantime, the response we got in the entire state whether it is from social media or from anywhere, is a program of celebration and at this time we have decided to postpone this program. We have also informed the Tripura government about this. We hope that in due time we will organize this program once again.”
A large number of people have been detained in Chandpur, Chittagong and other places in connection with the cases filed over the attacks on Durga Puja pandals.
Incidents of violence were also reported from Hajiganj, Chandpur, Noakhali, Cox’s Bazaar, Chattogram, Chapainawabganj, Pabna, Moulvibazara, Kurigram, and several other places.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has promised strong action against those involved in provoking communal disturbances by spreading fake photos of the Quran being placed at the feet of a Durga idol at a Comilla temple during Durga Puja.
