Hill Voice, 27 September 2020, Rangunia: A case has been filed against a Buddhist monk named Gyana Sharanank Bhante, the principal of Gyanansharan Maha Aranya Buddhist Monastery, for occupying the place of the ashram, alleging to spread misleading information about special people and disturb communal harmony in a video message on Facebook in Rangunia, Chittagong. A man named Titu Barua filed the case with Rangunia police station on 24 September 2020 night.

An investigation report said that on the morning of July 11 this year, police, with the instigation of Ershad Mahmud, a local ruling Awami League leader and the brother of Information Minister Hasan Mahmud and a communal group started vandalizing a Buddhist temple without any legal notice. When the monks prevented, the miscreants threatened to kill them.

Later, to drive this incident other way, various fake rallies and processions were organized in Rangunia by a communal group against Gayan sharan vante on the false accusation of hurting religious sentiments in Rangunia Sadar Upazila. However, none of this lasted.

Lastly, this case was filed through Titu Barua on the pretext of anti-liberation activities and destruction of communal harmony under digital security act.

In this regard, Sharanank Bhante said to the Prothom Alo, ‘I have not given any statement that anyone is defamed. I did not make any remarks about religion. In the video message I told about my three months of hardship. The administration may look into the matter.

But devout Muslims and Buddhists said it is a conspiratorial and false case by influential and sectarian destroyers to oust the monk and take over the monastery. True patriots and defenders of communal harmony cannot do such a thing. They also demanded immediate withdrawal of the false case.