Rioters torch Buddhist temples, homes in Bangladesh

[vajrastorm]

When we see how much destruction of temples, sacred Buddhist relics, homes and people's lives have been wrought, we will surely understand why the Buddha taught mindfulness and non-harming with our actions of body, speech and mind. Out of the 25000 rioters, it is doubtful that more than a handful of them have actually seen the photo which had defamed the Koran. Yet mob-mania is such, when the rhetoric flies around, feelings run high and go out of control. So, one little unthinking act of posting on the Facebook can set a mob of rioters to such devastating action.

In my mind's eye, I see a picture of happy contrast - that of the Nobel Peace Price winner, a great Buddhist herself, Aung Sun Suu Kyi, hugging members of a Muslim delegation(her countrymen)after their meeting with her.  Aung Sun Suu Kyi has spent her entire life practicing peaceful engagement, even with her 'enemies' at home. Peace is a necessity in this world of fragile human relationships. We can live in harmony, we must.     

[Ensapa]

Now they're blaming the Pakistani intelligence for inciting the destruction...hmm. Why not the country just stand up and clean the whole thing without pulling in other countries?

ISI behind attack on Buddhist temples in Bangladesh

by News Desk
October 2, 2012
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Pakistani spy agency Inter-Service Intelligence [ISI] is believed to be mastermind behind pre-planned attack on the Buddhist monasteries in Bangladesh. Extremist Muslims and some unidentified people, who are believed to be Rohingyas from the neighboring Myanmar vandalised and set on fire Buddhist monasteries on September 30, 2012 on hearing of a Facebook post desecrating the Qur'an, which was tagged on the wall of a Buddhist youth by someone else. Within 24 hours of this notoriety, a fresh spate of sectarian violence, two more Buddhist monasteries were burnt down in the same locality. In Patiya of Chittagong, more than 500 workers of Western Marine set on fire two Buddhist temples, Kalagaon Ratnankur Bouddha Bihar and Lakhera Abhoy Bouddha Bihar, and a Hindu temple, Kalagaon Nabarun Sangha Durgabari after midnight past September 30. The total number of damaged temples in Cox's Bazar and Chittagong now stands at 22.

According to information, agents and operatives of ISI became extremely active for past few months within the Chittagong Hill Tract areas under the garb of non governmental organizations. They have been giving provocations to the Muslim population in that area of "conspiracy of vested quarters" of evicting them [Bangla speaking people] from Chittagong Hill Tract areas with the help of the ruling party. They were even instigated of waging secret war against the religious minority groups in the locality, compelling them to migrate to India or Myanmar.

Pakistani intelligence agency has been working under various disguise inside Bangladesh. Since March this year, ISI operatives in the country are ex-armed cadres of now defunct Freedom Party. It may be mentioned here that, Freedom Party was formed by the self-proclaimed killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman following his brutal assassination in 1975. Founders of this so-called political party received millions of dollars from Libya's former dictator Muammar Al Gaddafi. Freedom Party was recruiting armed cadres from across Bangladesh with the ulterior motive of staging another bloody coup in the country. The armed gangs of Freedom Party made several assassination attempts on Sheikh Hasina and members of her family. But, since few of the kingpins of Freedom Party were hanged to death in 2011, most of its armed cadres went either into hiding or joined local crime rackets. The armed cadres of the party had been given guerrilla warfare training in Libya and Palestine which was financed by Gaddafi and the Pakistani spy agency.

During the tenure of Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP] led coalition government [2001-2006], ISI were actively funding anti Ahmadiya activities in Bangladesh, which were also silently witnessed by the ruling party. The anti-Ahmadiya groups continued to attack and demolish mosques of the Ahmadiya Muslim Jamaat as well continue numerous forms of atrocities on this religious minority group in Bangladesh. It may be mentioned here that, under Pakistani law, Ahmadiyas are not considered as Muslims, while Bangladesh has never ceased the rights of Ahmadiyas to be considered as Muslims.

It is even rumored that the August 21, 2004 grenade attack of Bangladesh Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina was originally plotted by the Pakistani spy agency, which later was implemented by some of the influential figures in the BNP led coalitions government. In some of secret meetings to finalize the August 21 attack, station chief of ISI in Bangladesh or some deep-covered officials were present.

When Bangladesh Awami League led coalition government came in power in 2009, activities of Inter-Service Intelligence got significantly tamed as the government was committed working in combating Islamist militancy and religious extremism.

ISI activities inside Bangladesh were significantly increased in the recent months with the ulterior motive of putting the ruling party into huge crisis both domestically and internationally. Its operations in Bangladesh are divided into several segments namely propaganda, information gathering, recruitment, guerrilla training and offensives. Its propaganda plans are implemented by some of the big fishes in a vernacular daily while a self-proclaimed ex operative of Bangladesh's intelligence, who now works for the Pakistani spy agency is coordinating media war against the ruling government in Bangladesh.

It may be mentioned here that, since independence of Bangladesh, this is for the first time; the peace-loving Buddhist population in the country has become victim of such nefarious brutality and barbaric acts.

Pakistani ISI has been actively involved in illegal trafficking of drugs, arms and counterfeit Indian currency into various destinations in India by using Bangladeshi territory as transit. It is confirmed by dependable sources that, currently ISI is operating at least 50 business establishments inside Bangladesh.

Giving strong reaction at the recent atrocities on the Buddhist and Hindu populations in Chittagong Hill Tract, advocate Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, secretary general of Bangladesh Jatio Hindu Mohajote [Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance] said, "the government needs to give exemplary punishment to the perpetrators and their masterminds. This is the most unfortunate situation for the religious minorities in the country."

He said, "We strongly condemn such barbaric actions and equally demand stern action against the members of the law enforcing agencies, who silently witnesses such massacre on the monasteries and temples."

Gobinda Chandra Pramanik said, "We believe there is some hands of foreign elements behind such notoriety and the government should properly investigate and identify the culprits for the sake of image of the country."

Commenting on such heinous crime, leading English language newspaper The Daily Star in editorial comment said, "What happened in Ramu and some other areas in Chittagong must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. The outrage that was created by people burning down Buddhist temples and houses belies the long tradition of harmonious and peaceful coexistence between people of various creeds in Bangladesh. Religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence are not only an article of our people it is also enshrined in the Constitution of Bangladesh.

"The regrettable incident has struck at the very ethos and the underlying essence of our long religio-cultural tradition. Whatever may have been the causative factor, the violent reaction seems to have been very well orchestrated. We believe that those who believe in the fundamental message of Islam would have exercised more temperance in addressing an issue centering on an anti-Islam picture on Facebook."

Some of the eminent columnists in Bangladesh are already predicting 'monster' behind such notoriety on the Buddhist and Hindu temples in the Chittagong Hill Tract areas.

Columnist Syed Mansur Hashim wrote: "The outrage that some unidentified trouble-mongers committed against Buddhist communities at Teknaf, Ramu and Ukhia upazilas on the nights of Saturday and Sunday has shocked the entire nation. Clearly, the perpetrators have tried to besmear Bangladesh's image as a nation of religious tolerance and harmony. The way Buddhist temples have been damaged and desecrated and houses of Budhist villagers have been ransacked and set ablaze speaks volumes for the monsters behind the mayhem."

He wrote, "The mob violence that engulfed Buddhist villages saw widespread looting and the gutting of religious relics and monasteries. With some of the most revered Buddhist temples in ashes, including the 250-year-old Shima Bihar in Ramu, communal harmony between Buddhists and Muslims is effectively in tatters. The attacks were an attack on harmony and on peaceful coexistence. But given recent events, particularly the worldwide backlash of Muslims against a film made in California mocking the Prophet Mohammad, religious sentiments had already been heightened and subversive elements have taken advantage of the situation to incite communal violence."

English language daily The New Age in its editorial comment wrote, "While it is absolutely unacceptable in a democratic political and cultural dispensation to have the minority communities, religious or ethnic or otherwise, assailed by the majority ones, a section of the majority Muslim community resorted to rampant attacks on Buddhist monasteries, Hindu temples and households in Ramu of Cox's Bazar on Saturday midnight and Sunday."

[dsnowlion]

This act is equal to drawing blood from a Buddha, no? Hence one would be reborn in the hell realms for countless of eons.

I've heard the karmic consequences for such an act are...

1. one being born in a place where there is no Dharma.
2. one will be born with broken limbs  this explains why there are people born imperfect or ratarted or disabbled
3. one will be born in a place that where resources cannot be found
4. one will be born without a home or always have no home

There's probably more I am sure...

[Ensapa]

Here's the latest update to the situation....i am saddened and shocked by the huge shockwaves that this incident has caused but neverthenless, it will pass. It is also a reminder of how important it is for us to always be vigilant in our actions.

Unless Karma is wrong.

   
 

Home > Asia Pacific > South Asia > Blangladesh

After Riots, Buddhists Call for Peace
By Farid Ahmed, IPS, Oct 10, 2012
DHAKA, Bangladesh -- Anxiety has yet to die down over a week after crowds of Muslims torched more than a dozen temples and scores of houses in southeast Bangladesh, leaving thousands of Buddhists with the unshakeable premonition that more violence was forthcoming.
<< Policemen guard a Buddhist monastery in Dhaka following sectarian violence in Cox's Bazar. Credit: Farid Ahmed/IPS

The government has repeatedly tried to assure the religious minority that they have the support and protection of the state, while the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Mizanur Rahman, apologised for the atrocities – but it seems nothing can assuage the fear of fresh violence.

“We’re shocked by this unexpected violence… yet we appeal to all to maintain peace as Buddhism preaches peace and non-violence,” Dr. Pranab Kumar Baruya, a former visiting professor of Dhaka University, told IPS during an interview at the Dharma Rajika Buddhist Monastery in Dhaka.


 “We want communal harmony. We number only one million (in Bangladesh) and we need the support of the government and the majority of the people in a country where we’ve also been born and where Buddhism has been practiced for more than a thousand years,” he added.
Amid mounting pressure on the government to launch a judicial inquiry into the attacks, the country’s top business leaders have expressed anxieties that a recurrence of such incidents might have a negative impact on the country’s image, investment and international trade.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry asked the government on Thursday to take immediate measures to ensure “such unexpected incidents do not take place (again).”

“A sense of fear still persists among the Buddhist people and it’s the responsibility of the government to allay the fear by providing proper security and bringing the culprits to justice,” Ranjit Kumar Barua, a retired joint-secretary to the government of Bangladesh, told IPS.

Ancient relics destroyed

The riot began on Sept. 29, when large crowds of Muslims attacked Buddhist shrines and torched homes in southeast Bangladesh, home to the highest concentration of Buddhists in the country.

Protesters chanted anti-Buddhist slogans and rioted throughout the night in the town of Ramu in the tourist district of Cox’s Bazar. Violence spilled into the adjoining areas and continued the following day.

The local administration had to call in the army, paramilitary troops from Border Guards Bangladesh and police forces to maintain law and order.

According to Baruya, ancient Buddhist relics, along with rare palm-leaf manuscripts of folk and religious tales (locally known as Puthis) were burned and several hundred rare statues of Lord Buddha were either damaged or looted by the mobs.

“Almost all the temples and monasteries, adorned intricately with wood carvings, were burned and damaged. They were several hundred years old; some of them were built in the late 17th or early 18th centuries,” he said.

Pragyananda Bhikkhu, resident director of the Ramu Central Sima Bihar in Cox’s Bazar, told IPS, “The damage done is irreparable and no one on earth will be able to compensate for this loss. The wounds might heal but they will continue to bleed deep in our hearts.”

“The temples belonged to the Buddhists, but they were also priceless treasures of our country (as a whole), they were part of our heritage,” Nehal Ahmed, a college professor in Dhaka, told IPS.

Police and witnesses told IPS that a photograph of a partially burned Quran, allegedly posted on Facebook by a Buddhist youth, sparked the riot.

An initial report said that the boy was tagged in the photo but did not post it himself. The Facebook user’s account has since been deleted.

“This can’t be accepted in this relatively peaceful South Asian nation,” Ahmed said, referring to the recent deadly violence that swept across several countries in response to a low-budget American film, ‘Innocence of Muslim’, desecrating Prophet Mohammad.

“We’ve seen many deaths during protests in Pakistan over the anti-Islam film, but it was relatively peaceful in Bangladesh,” he said.

Political stalemate

Top political leaders, hailing from the ruling Awami League and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have pointed accusing fingers at each other in a blame game that has further deepened the anxiety of Buddhists who comprise less than one percent of the total population in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Home Minister, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, who visited the scene of the violence immediately after the riot, blamed the BNP for the attacks.

The minister said the violence was planned, citing evidence of gunpowder and petrol found in the burnt monasteries and houses.

Both the prime minister and the home minister also hinted that Rohingya Muslims, refugees of persection and sectarian violence in neighbouring Myanmar (formerly Burma) who fled to Cox’s Bazar two decades ago, might be responsible for instigating the attacks.

Meanwhile, Khaleda Zia, leader of the BNP and a former prime minister of Bangladesh, said on Saturday that the government itself was behind the attacks.

This week the Bangladesh Supreme Court ordered the government to ensure complete security to Buddhists and other minority groups.

Buddhist monks, primarily in Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, staged demonstrations in front of the Bangladesh missions in their respective countries, venting their anger and demanding an impartial probe into the attacks.

International rights groups and non-governmental organisations including Amnesty International also asked the government to bring the culprits to book immediately.

Many Buddhists feel that whatever the investigation unearths, horrific memories of one of the worst attacks on the Buddhist faith will remain alive.

[Ensapa]

Seems that Bangladesh will arrest the people involved in the destruction against Buddhists. This is a welcome move...but not if all was planned for political reasons. At least the arrests will send a message to the people that they are not allowed to carry out acts of violence.

Nearly 300 arrested in Bangladesh for attacks on Buddhists


Article
Over the weekend nearly 300 people were arrested in Bangladesh after about 25,000 Muslims took part in attacking 11 Buddhist temples and destroying dozens of Buddhist shops and houses over an anti-Islam post on Facebook.

The attacks took place in 5 towns and a dozen villages and was the worst violence against the minority Buddhist community since the country's independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Authorities say the violence was organized as many Muslim attackers were bussed in, however, a specific group has not been named.

The government increased security in the Buddhist areas with about 1,300 soldiers being deployed to keep order. A senior army officer said the areas are getting back to normal.

The controversial Facebook post is a photo showing a page of the Koran being flushed down the toilet allegedly posted by a Buddhist man. The man, who has gone into hiding, denies posting the photo and said someone else tagged him in the photo.

[Big Uncle]

It is very easy to put the blame on the muslims with such atrocities but who's really to blame? It seems that everything began in Myanmar where the so called Buddhists were quick to strike against the muslims for the rape of Buddhist girl. Its amazing how swift is the karma when religion comes into the picture. It would be good if we cut the karma here and not encourage hatred and discrimination against the muslims.

These images of the burnt Buddha is a good reminder for all of us to watch our practice and how we represent our faith, our lama and the teachings so as not to harm Buddhadharma with our actions and broken commitments. How do our actions connect with atrocities against Buddhism? Well, just in the same way how the people from Myanmar were quick to act against the muslims, resulting in reprisals against other Buddhists in Bangladesh. All of our actions have larger and smaller implications.

[Ensapa]

It is very easy to put the blame on the muslims with such atrocities but who's really to blame? It seems that everything began in Myanmar where the so called Buddhists were quick to strike against the muslims for the rape of Buddhist girl. Its amazing how swift is the karma when religion comes into the picture. It would be good if we cut the karma here and not encourage hatred and discrimination against the muslims.
I just hope that the rest of the Buddhists in the world would agree with this point but at the moment, I am not sure. There are protests everywhere over this incident (and interestingly, act as if they could not care less. It would be nice to see a Buddhist organization offer to help and rebuild the destroyed temples and homes as an act of care and love.)  It's time to really just forgive and forget and rebuild what has been destroyed.

These images of the burnt Buddha is a good reminder for all of us to watch our practice and how we represent our faith, our lama and the teachings so as not to harm Buddhadharma with our actions and broken commitments. How do our actions connect with atrocities against Buddhism? Well, just in the same way how the people from Myanmar were quick to act against the muslims, resulting in reprisals against other Buddhists in Bangladesh. All of our actions have larger and smaller implications.
It is also a very strong reminder that there are repercussions and karma for every action performed and that we should never forget that. What happened in Myanmar has caused a ripple effect on this. Sometimes, just a moment of forgetfulness can bring upon repercussions that many of us fear so much...

thanks for your powerful reminder on the power of karma. It is a very apt time for you to bring this up as a powerful reminder to all of us that the law of Karma makes no exceptions, whether or not we are Buddhists.

[Ensapa]

And now, a twist to the story: the Buddhist was framed!

   
 

Home > Asia Pacific > South Asia > Bangladesh

A devil's design
The Daily Star, Oct 14, 2012
Fanatics used fake facebook page to run rampage in Ramu


Ramu, Bangladesh -- An unprecedented hate campaign against the Buddhist community raged through Ramu, a region known for its communal harmony for centuries until the night of September 29. Eighteen pagodas were damaged and about 50 houses burnt down in six hours of madness by Muslim zealots. Julfikar Ali Manik investigated extensively, only to find that the source of the shocking outrage was a faked facebook page.

It was all faked.

The facebook page with an anti-Islam picture that provoked the September 29 rampage against the Buddhist community in Ramu was photoshopped.

Somebody or a group had taken a screenshot of Uttam Kumar Barua's facebook profile page, cut out the address of anti-Islam website “Insult allah” and pasted it on the address bar visible in the image.

Once the fabrication was done, it looked like “Insult allah” has shared the anti-Islam image with Uttam and 26 others.

The Daily Star showed the screenshot to IT and graphics experts.


 The paper has become sure that it was a manipulation done to frame Uttam, who is a local Buddhist, and wreak mayhem that left 12 Buddhist temples burned to ashes and dozens of houses damaged.
A very innocent story was also cooked up about how Uttam's so-called facebook page came to public knowledge.

Omar Faruk, a youth of Ramu, claimed his friend Abdul Moktadir alias Alif, student of a private polytechnic institute in Chittagong, came to his mobile repairing shop in the evening of September 29.

According to Faruk, his friend signed in to his facebook account and made a scene finding Uttam's profile page bearing the anti-Islam photo.

Moktadir and Faruk claimed they had taken screenshots of the “profile page belonging to Uttam”.

The fabrication of screenshot could be the first part of the plan behind the mayhem and bringing rioters from outside Ramu the second part.

Why the plotters chose Uttam's profile is not clear yet. Uttam, an underprivileged assistant deed writer, has been on the run along with his wife and child since the night of the incident.

One thing is evident in the screenshot that someone called “Abdul Muktadir” had entered Uttam's profile though he was not a facebook friend. Uttam's profile was not restricted.

The facebook account of “Abdul Muktadir” is not accessible anymore.

But Faruk's friend who came to the shop in September 29 evening is registered at Chittagong Polytechnic Institute as Abdul Moktadir.

He was detained by police on October 9.

“My son is a very bright student. He got stipend when he was in school. He has hearing problem but his memory is very sharp,” said his mother Sajeda Begum at his house at Fakirabazar on October 6.

She refused to help The Daily Star meet her son Moktadir and repeatedly requested this correspondent to drop the idea of writing about the matter.

“He can fix mobile phone problems and he has very good computer knowledge as he studies computer engineering in Chittagong,” she said.

Talking to this correspondent on October 3, Faruk expressed annoyance as his help was sought to reach Moktadir.

He dropped out after class-IV, but he is skilled at repairing computers and mobile phones, he said.

Interestingly, his facebook account claims he studied at Ramu High School and Cox's Bazar Govt Collage.

He set up a shop three to four years ago at Fakirabazar in Ramu. Locally known as “Faruk's computer shop”, it is close to Moktadir's house.

Faruk denied link with any organisation or political party. Sajeda claimed the same about his son Moktadir.

Moktadir admitted that he was involved with Islami Chhatra Shibir when he was a student of class IX and X in 2008-09 at Ramu Khizari Adarsha High School, according to a police official.

Moktadir's mother also claimed nobody among their close relatives has any involvement in politics.

However, one of her brothers-in-law is Naikhangchhari upazila chairman of in Bandarban. His name is Tofail Ahmed, who doesn't hold any official post but locally everyone knows him as a Jamaat leader.

Tofail denied his involvement with Jamaat and said he was in Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of the party, when he was student of Chittagong University.

Surprisingly, Sajeda Begum, while giving names and brief profile of her close relatives to this reporter, mentioned the brother-in-law as Ali Ahmed.

But when her brother said it is Tofail Ahmed, she looked embarrassed but explained nothing.

Images in Faruk's computer
Some anti-Islam images were already stored in Faruk's computer at the shop.

Faruk claimed to this correspondent he and his friend Abdul Moktadir quickly created some image files with screenshots of Uttam's facebook account.

They did this as two strangers in his shop were unhappy seeing the pictures on their facebook, he said.

They saved the pictures after the strangers left, said Faruk, adding that they had to download some software to do it.

Faruk said they created the files to prove to the locals that the picture insulting the Quran did not belong to them and was from Uttam's profile.

He also added that Uttam's account suddenly disappeared within a short time after they saved the images. Faruk's claim was very confusing as no one else, except the account holder, can deactivate a facebook account.

And, moments after the departure of the two strangers, there was a continuous flow of people curious to see the pictures. All of them were shown images stored in Faruk's computer.

The people with no knowledge about social networking site facebook believed that was Uttam's facebook page with the anti-Islam image.

Faruk and Moktadir not only exhibited fabricated screenshots of Uttam's facebook profile, but also stored many pictures downloaded from “Insult allah” and the Quran-insulting photo, which was later circulated from mobile phones to mobile phones via Bluetooth.

In fact, there were significant anomalies between the claims of Faruk, Moktadir's mother and other local witnesses who saw the pictures at Faruk's shop.

Many locals got the images from Faruk and Moktadir on September 29 evening. They were local journalists, Faruk said, adding he does not know their names but would be able to recognise everyone.

Faruk on October 3 claimed that he could not give The Daily Star the images since the Ramu police have been keeping his computer since the night of September 29.

The Daily Star got those pictures, but from Nazir Hossain, owner of a local computer-training shop. He said the pictures were spread from Faruk's shop and after September 29, he collected those from locals.

Locals and a police official said these are the images they had seen on Faruk's computer.

Faruk claimed the picture in question appeared on his facebook page. Moktadir first saw it and then him.

But the collected pictures does not support Faruk's claim. The account of “Abdul Muktadir” was used while seeing Uttam's profile page and taking the screenshots.

If someone does not restrict his/her profile, every facebook account holder can view some information of that person. Otherwise, a brief restricted version of the profile is seen.

This correspondent failed to reach Uttam for a comment.

URL FAKED
“www.facebook.com/Insultallahswt” appeared in the browser address bar of the profile page of Uttam, according to the screenshot taken by “Abdul Muktadir”.

But the image had clear signs of manipulation suggesting that “/Insultallahswt” was pasted there either to hide the real address or to convince people how bad Uttam was.

Even the information above the tagged picture on Uttam's profile --“Insult allah with Uttam Kumar Barua and 26 others” with a date of September 18 -- was similarly forged.

It was not possible to know whether this manipulation was done on Faruk's computer or it was put in his computer after making the images somewhere else.

Answers to these questions are locked in Faruk's computer seized by the police, said an expert.

WHO WERE THE STARNGERS?
According to Faruk, two men aged 23-24 saw “Uttam's facebook page” on his computer along with him and Moktadir.

Faruk had never seen the two before. Faruk was born and brought up in South Sreekul of Ramu.

Moktadir's mother Sajeda claimed that she heard that four customers in the shop made the hue and cry seeing the picture on Faruk's computer.

A person, who had seen the picture that night at the shop, requesting anonymity said being informed, he along with a few others went there around 8:30pm.

He did not find Faruk there; a boy unknown to him was showing the pictures. The “unknown nice looking” boy was also explaining to the locals the meaning of the picture.

“When the boy was giving me explanations of a picture, I told him not to explain and just to show the pictures.”

The Daily Star investigation found this unknown boy was Moktadir.

WHY MOKTADIR IN RAMU?
After passing the SSC from Ramu, Moktadir moved to Chittagong for a diploma on computer engineering at Shyamoli Ideal Polytechnic Institute.

Since then, he has been living in Chittagong and visited his mother occasionally.

Although the final exams of his sixth semester were going on, Moktadir showed up in Ramu.

His mother Sajeda said Moktadir visited her on September 25 and the following day he had gone to his uncle Tofail Ahmed's place in Naikhangchhari and returned to Ramu on September 28.

He left Ramu again for Chittagong on October 1, she said.

Referring to records, Moktadir's dormitory superintendent Imam Hossain said Moktadir was not in the dorm between September 22 and 26.

He was present on September 26 and on 27 but absent on September 29 and 30. He returned to the dorm on October 1 and left again on October 5.

Police detained Moktadir on his return to the dorm in the night of October 9.

His mother Sajeda said, “Moktadir came between the gaps of his exams to take money to pay the fees for the seventh semester admission. As he had time, he went to visit Naikhangchhari for a few days.”

Sajeda gave Moktadir Tk 17,000 for admission fees, she claimed.

However, the principal of the institute said they did not ask students for admission fees for the seventh semester since the sixth semester finals were still going on. They could ask for the fees in November.

Faruk claimed he and Moktadir went to his shop together on September 29 evening after having snacks at a local restaurant. Both saw the pictures on facebook, showed and distributed those among locals and later went to the police station.

Sajeda, however, claimed Moktadir went to Faruk's shop to repair his aunt's mobile phone around 7:30pm on September 29. At that time, he saw the pictures and after repairing the phone he retuned home within an hour.

Later, police went to their home and asked Moktadir to go to the police station to confirm that he saw the pictures at Faruk's shop.

There were several other inconsistencies between the statements of Faruk and Sajeda on the same issue.

Sajeda tried to hide many things while talking to The Daily Star on October 6 and even the information she divulged was later found to be untrue during The Daily Star investigation.

THEY LIVE CLOSE
The first campaign to incite people started from Faruk's shop at Fakirabazar of Ramu, which was close to Moktadir's home.

A small procession was brought first from near the shop. Hafez Ahmed, who lives next door to Moktadir's home, played a leading role in bringing out the procession attended by some other locals.

When this correspondent went to talk to Sajeda on October 6, Hafez Ahmed's sister-in-law was there too.

She defended Moktadir and vigorously discouraged the correspondent to write about him.

Hafez Ahmed has been on the run since pictures of him in the procession were published in newspapers on October 2.

WHO IS ALIF?
Moktadir is known as Alif in Ramu Bazar area. His mother said Alif was his nickname.

The nick was not used in the facebook account of “Abdul Muktadir”.

However, The Daily Star found a facebook account of “Abdul Muktadir Alif”.

Very little information was found the profile as it is restricted to non-facebook friends of “Abdul Muktadir Alif”. It said “Abdul Muktadir Alif” studied at Ramu High School. The profile picture was of a boy but sex was mentioned as female.

Interestingly, Faruk also uses the nick Alif for his facebook account even though it is not his name.

Asked on October 3, Faruk said he just used it for his facebook account as he liked this nickname of his friend.

MOKTADIR WAS SHIBIR MAN
Md Iltut Mish, additional superintendent of police in Chittagong, who was working in Cox's Bazar on deputation, told The Daily Star on Friday, “According to Moktadir's statement and the information in his personal diary, he was the sports secretary of Ramu thana Islami Chhatra Shibir in 2009.”

Moktadir had told police that since he was good in sports, Shibir men gave him the post, he said.

Contacted over the phone, Moktadir's uncle Tofail Ahmed said he was not involved in Jamaat. “It would not be possible for anyone to show my name in any document of Jamaat.”

Locals in Ramu said Tofail's car went to Ramu twice within a few days since the attack on Buddhist homes and pagodas.

Tofail claimed his wife went to the doctor's and some other places in Cox's Bazar and she could have visited her mother and sister in Ramu.

Moktadir's two maternal uncles Rakib and Rajib also live with Tofail in Naikhangchhari.

Locals said one of them was seen in Ramu before the attack and during the night of the attack.

Tofail ruled out the possibility of them being anywhere near Ramu on September 29 night. He said, “They [Rajib and Rakib] live with me here [in Naikhangchhari] and they were at home that night.”

Rajib told this correspondent over the phone that he had gone to Ramu on September 27 on family business and returned to Naikhangchhari the same day.