BANGLADESH'S ruling party rallied on Tuesday (19) in support of the nation's besieged minority Hindus after one of the worst bouts of communal violence in the Muslim-majority nation in over a decade.
According to local media, the wave of clashes left at least six people dead and dozens of homes destroyed. Police said 450 people had been arrested.
The attacks began on Friday when hundreds of Muslims protested in the southeastern Noakhali district, accusing Hindus of a blasphemous incident involving the Koran.
Several Hindu religious sites have been vandalised and homes attacked.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party held a rally in Dhaka, with thousands marching along a four km route in the heart of the city, calling for a halt to the violence.
"Stop this communal evil, Bangladesh," read one banner held by women supporters.
Elsewhere in Dhaka, several hundred writers gathered, holding up handwritten messages and small posters.
"Teach your children to love, not to kill," one said.
Awami League lawmaker and joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said party workers planned a series of rallies across the country over the next two weeks.
"The panic has to be removed," Hanif said.
Hindus make up around 10 per cent of Bangladesh's nearly 170 million people.
Authorities have filed 71 cases in connection with the violence during the Hindu festival of Durga Puja, a Bangladesh police spokesman said.
Communal tensions have long simmered in Bangladesh, whose constitution designates Islam as the state religion but also upholds the principle of secularism.
"Recent attacks on Hindus of Bangladesh, fuelled by hate speech on social media, are against the values of the Constitution and need to stop," tweeted Mia Seppo, the United Nations' resident coordinator.
Rights group Amnesty International called for an investigation and punishment for perpetrators.
(Reuters)
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)