A young man was detained by police in the Betgari Union of Gangachara upazila in Rangpur on Saturday evening for allegedly making derogatory remarks about religion on Facebook.
Following the arrest, a group of people from a nearby area, angered by the alleged post, mistakenly vandalized the home of another villager, believing it to be the youth’s residence.
The mob, armed with sticks, chanted slogans and created panic in the area before law enforcement, army personnel, political party representatives, and the upazila administration intervened to bring the situation under control.
When visited on Sunday morning, many homes in the village were found locked and deserted. Local residents reported that most men from the village fled overnight, fearing further unrest.
A resident described the incident, saying that after a young man was arrested by police in the evening, a mob from a neighboring area entered the village chanting slogans and wielding sticks.
Alarmed by the situation, many villagers fled their homes. The mob then vandalized a house, mistakenly believing it belonged to the accused. They quickly dispersed upon learning that police and army personnel were on their way.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gangachara Model Police Station, Al Emran, confirmed the incident, saying, “We have initially found the allegation of religious defamation to be true, but a deeper investigation is needed. A case has been filed against the detainee, and legal action will be taken accordingly.”
Gangachara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mahmud Hasan Mridha said, “We visited the location, and the situation is now under control. For a fair investigation, we are coordinating with local political leaders and community members.”
