BANGLADESH

Some 200 Dhaka University students blocked traffic for an hour in the city's Shahbagh area in a rare midnight protest on Wednesday to demand justice for the alleged attacks on Hindus in Satkhira two days ago.

The protesters who live at Jagannath Hall also announced that they would form a human chain in front of the prime minister's office at 10am on Thursday and wear black badges in protest against the attack.

They gathered in the dormitory around 10pm on Wednesday and later took out a procession. They took position at Shahbagh at midnight.

They were seen torching papers and tyres on the street that was not that busy after Wednesday midnight.

Ramna zone police assistant commissioner S M Shibli Noman told around 1am on Thursday that the students were demonstrating peacefully and police had been there to stop them if they turn violent.

The protesters said students of Fatehpur High School at Dakkhin Sripur of Satkhira's Kaliganj upazila on Mar 26 staged a drama Hujur Kebla, written by Abul Mansur Ahmed, to mark the Independence Day.

A local newspaper reported that Prophet Mohammad was disgraced in the drama, they said. The report made local Muslims angry at the school's assistant head teacher Mita Rani and other Hindus in the area, the protesters said.

They reportedly looted around eight homes of Hindus, including that of Mita, in the area and set fire to those houses on Monday alleging that Rani allowed the students to stage the drama to disgrace the prophet with an intention.

Manik Rakkhit, a Jagannath Hall student, demanded exemplary punishment of the attackers.

His fellow Prodip Chowdhury said National Human Rights Commission chairman Mizanur Rahman talks about many other issues but he is silent about torture on Hindus.

He said Monday's attack was similar to that of Chittagong's Hathazari on Feb 10.

The demonstrators urged prime minister Sheikh Hasina to take steps to stop such tortures and punish the attackers.