Govt directed to pay compensation to Pabna Hindus

The High Court has directed the government to pay over Tk 4.3 million as compensation to Hindu families made targets of hate attacks in November last year in Santhia, Pabna.
The bench of Justices Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain issued the order Sunday based on the police report files after a court order on Nov 3.
Deputy Attorney General Biswajit Roy told bdnews24.com that the government had been asked to pay up within three weeks.
Miscreants had attacked, ransacked and torched at least 35 houses, several temples and 15 businesses on Nov 2 after news spread that a Grade 10 student, Rajib Saha of Bonogram’s Sahaparha, had slandered Prophet Muhammad on his Facebook page.
On Nov 3, the court had ordered the immediate arrest of the attackers and heightened security in that area. It also ordered an assessment of the damage and the identification of the person behind the Facebook post.
Following the order, a committee was formed to investigate the incident and determine the damages. DAG Bishwajit Roy presented the committee’s report at the court Sunday.