The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council observed a six-hour general strike in Chittagong on Saturday to protest the attack on a Durga Puja venue in the port city the previous day. No untoward incident was reported during the strike.
On Friday, a group of people attempted to breach the puja venue entrance at the JM Sen Hall, while throwing brickbats and tearing down banners after the Jummah prayers in Bangladesh.
Following the Jummah prayers, the group held a meeting at the gate of Andarkilla Shahi mosque and then marched towards the puja venue, witnesses said.
The procession broke through police barricades at the intersection and then attempted to breach the locked gate of JM Sen Hall. Then they proceeded to throw brickbats and rip apart puja banners on the walls around the street.
Pic from Internet
However, police said they had quickly brought the situation under control following a clash with the demonstrators, which left several people injured, including cops.
The commotion created outside triggered panic inside the venue where women of different ages were preparing for the immersion of the idols.
Soon after the incident, the council’s leader Rana Dasgupta called for a general strike on Friday in a demonstration in front of the JM Sen Hall. They had also announced not to immerse the idols in protest. But it was held later upon the authorities’ assurances.
Ashish Kumar Bhattacharya, president of the Chittagong Metropolitan Puja Celebration Committee, told that they had withdrawn their decision to suspend the immersion of idols upon the assurance of safety from the local administration.
