December 23, 2024
DHAKA – The chief adviser’s press wing today contested reports in the media that a recent death of a man at a Natore crematorium was a case of communal violence.
They made a statement through the Facebook page “CA Press Wing Facts” after Indian news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) reported the incident as a case of communal violence “without proper verification”.
The Facebook post said that on Saturday, PTI published the report citing a video from ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharaman Das. Following PTI’s report, several Indian outlets, including Hindustan Times and The Indian Express, ran similar stories.
“No Bangladeshi authorities, Hindu leaders, or relatives of the victims were quoted in this news,” said the CA Press Wing.
The CA Press Wing also quoted Hrishikesh Gauranga Das, a member of ISKCON Bangladesh, who said, “It is not responsible to pass off an incident as a communal murder without verifying it. Such exaggerated news can damage communal harmony in Bangladesh.”
Hrishikesh Gauranga Das confirmed that Tarun Kumar was not a member of ISKCON, and urged the media to collect information at the local level or through official channels.
Additional verification was provided by the CA Press Wing with a quote from Md Mahbubor Rahman, officer-in-charge of the Natore Sadar Police Station, who said that the victim Tarun Kumar, 60, was strangled to death when he tried to scream after witnessing burglars.
Some drug addicted thieves attempted to steal bronze plates from the crematorium “bhog ghar”, he added.
The CA Press Wing quoted community leaders from the crematorium who provided further clarification over the incident.
One community leader said that the victim had been mentally ill for a long period and had been staying at the cremation ground for several days.
Satya Narayan Roy Tipu, general secretary of the Natore cremation committee, added, “Tarun Kumar was not a member of the cremation committee and he was not a priest. We do not believe there is any communal angle to this incident.”
According to the Facebook post, Natore Sadar Police have not identified any religious or communal motive behind the murder and the police are also working to identify the thieves. They urged the public to refrain from speculating about the motives behind the crime without solid evidence.