Arson attacks on Hindu homes aimed at portraying Bangladesh as unsafe for minorities: Ctg Range DIG

Chattogram District Police have arrested seven people over a series of premeditated arson attacks on residential houses of the Hindu community in Raozan and Rangunia, which senior police officials say were carried out to damage Bangladesh's image in the international arena and portray the country as unsafe for minorities.

Addressing a press conference at the Chattogram District Police Lines this morning (13 January), Chattogram Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Md Ahsan Habib Palash said activists of a banned organisation were behind the attacks, which targeted Hindu and Buddhist households in December last year.

"The objective was to destroy Bangladesh's image of communal harmony before the world and create the perception that minorities are not safe here, ultimately embarrassing the government," the DIG said. Saying the arrests had foiled a much larger sabotage plan, he dismissed concerns over electoral security and added that there was no major threat to derail polls or destabilise the electoral environment in Chattogram.

Replying to a question, DIG Palash said the arrested were members of a banned organisation, but did not clarify which one. According to police, the arson incidents took place late at night in December 2025 in the Raozan and Rangunia upazilas.

Several houses were set on fire, leaving some partially damaged and others completely gutted. Investigators recovered banners made from plastic sacks from the crime scenes. The banners carried provocative messages aimed at inciting communal unrest, along with the names of several political figures and more than 50 mobile phone numbers.

Police said the banners were deliberately hung under the cover of darkness before the arson attacks, pointing to a premeditated and conspiratorial plan. Probe and arrests. Based on intelligence gathering, technological analysis, and witness statements, police arrested a suspect named Monir Hossain around 12:30pm on 2 January, from the College Gate area of Rangamati hill district.

Officers, during a search of his residence, recovered three empty plastic sacks that matched those used to make the banners found at the arson sites. During interrogation, Monir revealed that an organised group of 15-16 members planned and carried out attacks on Hindu and Buddhist homes in different parts of the country.

He also disclosed that the group had planned to target houses belonging to indigenous hill communities as part of a wider plan to spread fear and confusion. Police said the plot was designed to create communal tension at home while fueling international propaganda that minorities are persecuted in Bangladesh.

Investigators also found that some names and phone numbers were added to the banners due to personal family disputes and retaliatory motives. Based on information divulged by Monir and supporting evidence, police later arrested six more people.

They have been identified as Mohammad Omar Faruk, Mohammad Kabir Hossain, Kartik Dey, Biplab Barua, Mohammad Lokman, and Md Parvez. Police recovered four provocative banners, two kerosene containers matching those used by local fuel shops, and a kerosene bottle from under a bed at the house of a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver, which police claimed had been used in earlier incidents.

They also seized a kerosene-soaked lungi and an old black shirt from the first crime scene, a mobile phone containing the numbers on the banner, and a CNG-run auto-rickshaw and a motorcycle used to travel to at least five locations.

Preliminary findings suggest the main planner is a local nursery businessman who provided active leadership and played a central role in instigating arson attacks on Hindu, Buddhist, and indigenous households to create social instability.

Police also identified a coordinator based in Rangamati who maintained contact with accomplices and facilitated movement and logistical support. Financial backing allegedly came from a former commissioner linked to a banned organisation.

Monir joined the plot due to family disputes and the lure of a large sum of money and participated in executing the attacks, police said. He has since given a confessional statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before a court.

Police said operations are ongoing to arrest other associates, reiterating that any attempt to incite violence, spread provocation, or disrupt social harmony will be dealt with firmly under the law.