Agartala, Oct 20 (IANS): In view of the violence trageting minorities across the border, a three-day film festival of the Bangladesh government in Agartala, which was scheduled to commence on Thursday, has been postponed, official sources said on Tuesday night.
A senior official of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala said that the festival has been postponed "due to unavoidable circumstances".
"In the proposed film festival, 34 films, mostly on 'Mukti Yuddha' (1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh), were planned to be screened from October 21 to 23 in the Rabindra Satabarshiki Auditorium," the official told IANS, refusing to be named.
Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Tuesday urged the Bangladesh government to protect the lives, properties and religious places of the minorities in that country.
Many organisations, intellectuals, political parties and NGOs in Assam and Tripura have condemned the recent attacks on people belonging to the Hindu community in Bangladesh, besides organising protest rallies against the communal violence in the neighbouring country.
They have met the Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioners in Agartala and Guwahati and urged them to request their government to ensure action against those who attacked the minorities, vandalised Durga Puja pandals and properties belonging to the non-Muslim families.
As per media reports, the mob violence erupted in Comilla earlier last week, after unconfirmed posts went viral on social media about the alleged desecration of the Quran at a Durga Puja venue, following which Hindu temples were vandalised.
A large number of people have been detained in Chandpur, Chittagong and other places in connection with the cases filed over the attacks on Durga Puja pandals.
Incidents of violence were also reported from Hajiganj, Chandpur, Noakhali, Cox's Bazaar, Chattogram, Chapainawabganj, Pabna, Moulvibazara, Kurigram and several other places.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has promised strong action against those involved in provoking communal disturbances by spreading fake photos of the Quran being placed at the feet of a Durga idol at a Comilla temple during Durga Puja.