Dinajpur, Aug 4 (UNB) – At least seven people were injured on Friday night as members of the  minority community came under attack at Balaibazar in Chirirbandar upazila over the renovation of a bamboo-made mosque.

At least 11 dwelling houses of Hindus were set on fire and their belongings looted during the series of attacks on their homesteads at Balaibazar from Friday night to Saturday morning.

To control the situation, the local administration clamped Section 144 at Bolaibazar on Saturday morning.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rashidul Maruf Kabir declared the emergency section, which was in force from 6am to 6pm on Saturday.

Witnesses said local Hindus resisted Muslims on Tuesday when they began the renovation work on a makeshift structure, hardly 200 meters from a temple, where they (Muslims) want to build a mosque permanently, creating tension between the two communities.

Local Hindus urged the Muslims to carry out the renovation work after shifting the mosque 500-yard off the present location as there is now a temple within 200 yards of the mosque (thatched structure).

The proposal was turned down and tension escalated between the two communities over the issue.

There had been hot exchanges between the members of the two communities on Friday followed by a series of clashes which started in the evening and continued overnight over a rumour that someone damaged the mosque, leaving at least seven people injured.

As the two groups again engaged in a clash over the issue on Saturday morning, local administration clamped the emergency section to prevent an escalation.

As Chirirbandar thana police failed to bring the situation under control additional police, Rab and BGB were called in and controlled the situation.

Tariqul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chirirbandar thana, said 20 platoon police, five platoon BGB and Rab have been deployed for maintaining law and order in the area.

Police Super Mohammad Moinul Islam said legal step will be taken against those found involved in the incident.

The local administration formed a one-member committee with additional district magistrate Abdul Malek to investigate the incident.