Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said those who are behind the Cumilla incident will be hunted down to give them proper punishment to stop the recurrence of such communal acts.

“A thorough investigation is on. We’re getting huge information. We’ll definitely trace those who carry out such incidents and we’ll do so…this is the age of technology,” she said, mentioning Wednesday’s Cumilla incident.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while exchanging greetings with Hindu devotees at the Dhakeshwari National Temple virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban on the occasion of Durga Puja.

Sheikh Hasina said proper action will surely be taken against the culprits, no matter what religion they belong to.

“They must be found out. We did so in the past and will do it in the future, too. They must face the due punishment. We want such punishment so that none dare to do so (engage in communal incident) in future,” she said.

President of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad Milon Kanti Datta and Principal of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka Swami Purnatmananda Maharaj spoke at the function chaired by President of Mahanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee Shailendra Nath Majumder.

General Secretary of the parishad Nirmal Kumar Chatterjee conducted it, while general secretary of the committee Advocate Kishore Ranjan Mandal delivered the welcome speech.

Mentioning that religions are of individuals but festivals for all, the Prime Minister said some evil cliques are there who sometimes want to destroy the spirit of people by carrying out some unwanted incidents, and this is very unfortunate, she added.

Also read: Cumilla incident: DIG says offenders to be hunted down

“There’re some people of evil-intellect who want to destroy a thing when it goes well. When Bangladesh is moving fast on its development journey, they want to disrupt this journey and also create a problem inside the country,” she said.

“It (communal incident) is the act of those who can’t win the public trust and confidence and who have no politics and no ideology. This one kind of their weakness,” she said, urging all to be alert over such incidents.

“We’re definitely taking proper action in this regard,” she said.

Limited Puja Mandaps better

The Prime Minister urged the country’s Hindu community to keep the number of new small and makeshift Puja Mandaps limited here like in India, and concentrate on religious celebrations in universal Puja Mandaps for the sake of getting proper security from law enforcers.

“If it can be kept limited, our law enforcement agencies would have the better scope to provide the overall security (in the universal Puja Mandaps),” she said, adding that the Durga Puja is being held peacefully amid festivity in 32,118 Puja Mandaps across the country this year.

The number of small and makeshift Puja mandaps is on the rise and this year 1,905 additional Puja mandaps were set up, she said.

“Take measures on your own. Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad can particularly have a guideline over the number and places of Puja mandaps. If it can be kept limited, it would be helpful for our law enforcement agencies to provide overall security,” she said.

Hasina also asked the leaders and activists of her party Bangladesh Awami League and its associate organisations to help maintain security in Puja celebrations in their respective areas.

She said the BNP-Jamaat clique, coming to power after 1975, had created divisions and triggered conflicts in the name of religion in the country. Besides, the worldwide rise in militancy, terrorism and such activities has also cast an adverse impact on Bangladesh, she added.

Also read: “Desecration of holy Quran” in Cumilla, govt urges calm

Request to India

Not only Bangladesh but also our neighbouring country, India, needs to be aware and careful about the communal harmony, the PM said, adding that Bangladesh is always remembered with gratitude for the help of India during the 1971 Liberation War.

“So, my request is that they should be a little bit more aware so that nothing is done there that affects our country,” she said.

Hasina said she wants the people of the country to lead a good and peaceful life enjoying religious freedom.

She urged the Hindu community not to consider themselves as a minority but feel good as worthy citizens of the country.

Hasina said Islam supports the freedom of the people of all religions and never encourages any divisive act. “But some people are here who suffer from a sense of religious bigotry and they always want to instigate communal conflicts. It’s not only in our country or in the Muslim community, these types of people are also there in all religions who always try to create troubles,” she added.

“If we all move together, they won’t be able to harm our society,” the Prime Minister added.