The lawmaker was addressing a press conference at Cox’s Bazar Press Club on Monday morning.
On his return to Dhaka from Ramu, Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir alleged that local BNP lawmaker Lutfur Rahman had fuelled the violence in Ramu, saying the MP neither met the visiting team from the capital nor did he visit the victims.
On Saturday night, a mob destroyed 12 Buddhist temples and monasteries and more than 50 houses in Ramu upazila of Cox's Bazar. The violence was apparently triggered by a Facebook posting of a photo defaming the holy Quran.
In response to the minister’s allegation, the lawmaker told reporters that when in Ramu, the home minister never said that he fuelled the violence. "He held me fully responsible after he was back in Dhaka," Lutfur said.
The lawmaker further said, “I tried to quell the violence. I was there until 2:00am. The situation worsened in Ramu because the police were outnumbered. Had more police been deployed as soon as the violence broke, the situation could have been controlled.”
“The ones who I have seen stirring the violence were outsiders, anti-social youths. Their intention was to loot the houses,” added the lawmaker.
“I have full faith in secularism,” said Lutfur, adding that he was in good terms with the priests at Buddhist temples and he had provided assistance to them.
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