The worst massacre in living memory: Double murder in Sonaimuri, Noakhali
On March 14, 2016, Porkora village of Sonaimuri Upazila,
Noakhali, A riot spread across the entire area over the construction
of an ordinary mosque. The mosque was being built in the courtyard
of the residence of Hossain Mohammad Selim, Imam (Leader) of
Hezbut Tawheed. From that morning, rumors were broadcast over
the loudspeakers of a local mosque claiming that members of Hezbut
Tawheed had converted to Christianity and were constructing a
church in Porkora village. Within moments, the presence of several
thousand hired attackers arriving from surrounding villages turned
Porkora village into a battlefield.
The nearby Comilla–Chattogram Highway was shut down. In an
attempt to control the situation, members of the Bangladesh Police,
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Border Guard Bangladesh
(BGB) were deployed. Even then, the situation could not be brought
under control. Extremist attackers cut down large trees and placed
them across the highway to prevent the authorities from entering the
area.
Within moments, the incident flooded online platforms. Throughout
the day, media outlets broadcast continuous news updates and live
coverage to report the latest situation. Hired attackers incited by
Islami Chhatra Shibir, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Islami Andolan
Bangladesh, and local religious agitators jointly launched an attack
and demolished the under-construction mosque, reducing it to the
ground.
At one stage of the intense clashes, two members of Hezbut Tawheed
— Solaiman Khokon and Ibrahim Rube l— who had come to
provide voluntary labor for the mosque construction, were isolated
and brutally killed. The savagery of the killings was so extreme that
it is difficult to describe in words. Using knives, machetes, kirichs,
ramdas, and sharp instruments used for cattle slaughter, the hired
attackers slit the throats of both members, gouged out both eyes, and
severed the tendons of their hands and legs. Even then, the attackers
did not stop; afterward, they poured petrol on the motionless bodies
and set them on fire, burning the corpses.
On that day, 114 injured and besieged individuals, including
women, children, and the elderly, were present at the site and
remained on the brink between life and death. The attackers’
intention was to kill all 114 of them and create a similar scene of
mass brutality. The under-construction mosque was broken down,
demolished, and reduced to ashes, and several houses were looted
and set on fire. This unforgettable, barbaric massacre was carried
out by workers of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and Hefazat-e-Islam
Bangladesh. As a result of this extremism, two members of Hezbut
Tawheed lost their lives.
After isolating two members of Hezbut Tawheed, they were slaughtered,
the tendons of their hands and legs were severed, their eyes were gouged
out, and the bodies were burned with petrol.
Evidence Archive of Attacks and Disinformation Against Hezbut Tawheed.
From the morning of the incident, the presence and movement of
external attackers were observed.
Using inciting slogans such as ‘Kill Christians, destroy churches,’
religious agitators marched through village roads, provoking local
residents.
Members of Hezbut Tawheed staying in nearby houses, along with
construction workers who had come to build the mosque, were injured
during the attacks and, in a state of shock, moved to a safer distance.
After the police arrived, the attacks temporarily subsided. By that time,
more than fifty individuals had already sustained severe injuries.
Evidence Archive of Attacks and Disinformation Against Hezbut Tawheed.
Images Related to this Post
Leave a Comment