A Correspondent:
Cox’s Bazar: Police have arrested a youth in connection with the arson attack on a Buddhist monastery at Cox’s Bazar’s Ramu upazila on the eve of the 12th parliamentary election.
The arrestee was identified as Abdul Yasir alias Shahjahan, son of Ramu Fatekharkul union BNP presi-dent Abdul Karim. He was arrested from Chattogram on Tuesday.
Cox’s Bazar Superintendent of Police Mahfuzul Islam said Shahjahan claimed responsibility for the at-tack during the initial interrogation.
Police are working to find out who the instigators are, he added.
Shahjahan will be produced before the court, and the police will seek a 7-day remand for further inter-rogation.
On January 6, a Buddhist monastery named Usaichen Buddhist Vihara (Bara Kang) in Ramu Sadar of Cox’s Bazar was set on fire. Locals were able to douse the fire before it spread, according to police.
SP Mahfuzul said they are investigating whether Shahjahan and his family were involved in any previ-ous sabotage.
In 2012, several Buddhist monasteries in Ramu were burnt in arson violence. Locals have expressed an-ger over the attempt to set fire to the Buddhist monastery again.
