Ramu mayhem angers PM

New York, Sep 30  The Prime Minister, now in New York, has warned against acts that damage "social harmony" in Bangladesh in the wake of overnight mayhem in the southeastern hilly town of Ramu.
In a statement communicated to bdnews24.com by Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN, she said she was shocked at the developments, being updated and would do anything at her disposal to stop acts of violence against religious minorities.
At least seven Buddhist temples and nearly 30 homes and shops were looted, ransacked and burned during the night-long mayhem by religious fanatics.
Ambassador Dr Abdul Momen said she had been talking to relevant senior officials and instructed all steps necessary to bring the culprits to book.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar Jasim Uddin said Section 144 was imposed at Ramu banning all sort of gatherings in the area for an indefinite period from Sunday morning to control the situation.
A large number of police, Border Guard Bangladesh and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members were deployed in the area.
Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir and Industries Minister Dilip Barua visited the site of the hate attack, officials of the local administration said.
Local people said followers of an Islamist party led by several leaders took out a procession around 10pm on Saturday alleging that a photo was uploaded on the Facebook to defame the holy book.
At a subsequent rally, they claimed that a youth by the name of Uttam Barua had pasted the purportedly offensive photo in the social networking website and demanded his arrest.
Another militant procession was taken out that marched down towards the Barua Parha around 11:30pm and some youths from the procession set some homes of the Buddhists on fire.
From then on, 15 homes, three temples including 'Saada Ching' and 'Laal Ching' were burned to the ground, Dipak Barua, a local resident said.
Several houses and Mithhachharhi Bonbihar, some five kilometres from Ramu Sadar Upazila, were also set on fire around 3:30am, said General Secretary of Ramu Upazila Juba League Nitish Barua.
Gias Uddin Ziku, Office Secretary of Cox's Bazaar district unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Chairman of Jhilangja Union, said he dispersed Jamaat-e-Islami activists who had gathered around localities of ethnic minorities. He also said he had informed the police of the incident.
A local journalist, who was hiding with family in the neighbourhood that came under attack, told bdnews24.com the Cheranghata Barakyang Temple close to his home was set alight. He said the flames died out around 2:45am.
Ramu Upazila officials said that during the night long attack 'Saada Ching' and 'Laal Ching', Ramu Maitree Bihar, Sina Bihar, Jadiparha Bouddha Bihar, Bimukti Bidarshan Babna Centre and Mithhachharhi Bonbihar were torched, ransacked and looted. Around 30 residences were also set alight in these areas.
Cox's Bazaar district's Superintendent of Police Selim Mohammed Jahangir said around 4am situation in the Ramu district headquarters was under control but in areas on the fringe, tension remained.
Paramilitary BGB personnel have been called out to restore order in the affected areas, local residents said.