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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}{{Violence against Buddhists}}The 2012 Ramu violence refers to a series of attacks on Buddhist monasteries, shrines, and houses of Buddhist inhabitants in Ramu UpazilaNEWS, Violencia religiosa en Bangladesh por imagen ofensiva publicada en Facebook,weblink BBC Mundo, in Cox's Bazar DistrictNEWS, 30 September 2012, Desa-desa Buddha di Bangladesh diserang,weblink BBC Indonesia, in Bangladesh by local mobs on the midnight past 29 September 2012. The mobs destroyed 12 Buddhist temples and monasteries and 50 houses in reaction to a tagging of an image depicting the desecration of a Quran on the timeline of a fake Facebook account under a Buddhist male name.NEWS, 1 October 2012, Extremists 'linked',weblink The Daily Star, 3 November 2015, 4 March 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160304104313weblink">weblink dead, NEWS, 1 October 2012, Khaleda for neutral probe, tough action,weblink The Daily Star, 3 November 2015, 4 March 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160304202145weblink">weblink dead, The actual posting of the photo was not done by the Buddhist who was falsely slandered.NEWS, 30 September 2012, Bangladesh rampage over Facebook Koran image,weblink BBC News, The Buddhist was innocent of the accusation.NEWS, 1 February 2013, Bangladesh Buddhists pick up pieces after mob rampage,weblink BBC News, Ramu, Cox's Bazar District, The violence later spread to Ukhia Upazila in Cox's Bazar DistrictNEWS, 2 September 2012, 5 Buddhist temples attacked in Ukhia,weblink bdnews24.com, 31 May 2013, and Patiya Upazila in Chittagong District where Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples were targeted for attacks.An estimated 25,000 peopleNEWS, 30 September 2012, Rioting mob torches temples in Bangladesh,weblink ABC News, 5 October 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150610055336weblink">weblink 10 June 2015, participated in the violence directed at Buddhists and over 300 people were arrested in connection to the attacks.

Background

{{more citations needed section|date=May 2016}}A person using a pseudonym posted an image depicting the desecration of a Quran on a Buddhist's Facebook page. Some local residents took offence to the incident and staged processions and demonstrations in Ramu in the afternoon and evening of 29 September.

Events

On 29 September, at around 10 p.m., a procession was held in Ramu in protest of the perceived blasphemous image uploaded to a Facebook account. Newspaper reports stated that local Awami League leaders were initially seen mobilising the mob and emphasising the sentimental religious issue to counter the opposition. The Daily Star, a widely circulated national daily, reported that a motley group comprising local leaders of pro-Awami League organisations, BNP men, madrasa students and common people were allegedly behind the communal violence at Ramu on Saturday night.NEWS, Inam Ahmed, Julfikar Ali Manik, 3 October 2012, A hazy picture appears,weblink The Daily Star, 24 October 2012, At a subsequent procession, some people demanded the arrest of the man they believed to be responsible. At around 11:30 p.m., a third procession marched towards Barua Parha, and some of the Buddhist houses were torched.NEWS, 30 September 2012, Buddhist temples, homes burned, looted in Ramu,weblink bdnews24.com, 3 October 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121105180958weblink">weblink 5 November 2012, Subsequently, Buddhist temples, monasteries, and residences were also torched. Ten Buddhist villages were attacked as well with gunpowder, kerosene, and petrol used for the purpose.NEWS, Ramu Violence: Home Minister points finger at MP,weblink BDNEWS, 30 September 2012, 3 October 2012, The arson continued till 3 a.m. 30 September.On 30 September, in the evening, Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples were vandalized in Ukhia Upazila in Cox's Bazar District.NEWS, 166 nabbed for Ramu rampage,weblink Daily Sun, 2 October 2012, 2 October 2012, Two more Buddhist monasteries were burnt in Ukhiya early on Monday. At Marichya, the Dipankar Bouddha Bihar was torched while at Khairatipara the Pangyamitra Bouddha Bihar was also torched. By Monday, a total of six monasteries and temples have been damaged in Ukhia.NEWS, Mobs torch two more monasteries in Cox's Bazar, Juberee, Abdullah, Atikuzzaman, A.K.M.,weblink The New Age, 2 October 2012, 2 October 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121003064316weblink">weblink 3 October 2012, dead, The fanatics also burnt the Matri Mandir Hindu temple in Jelepara.PRESS RELEASE, 24 Buddhist and Hindu temples burnt in Bangladesh - India and UN urged to intervene,weblink Asian Centre for Human Rights, 1 October 2012, 4 October 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121004004231weblink">weblink 4 October 2012, dead, The participants burned religious texts and seized Buddha statues.NEWS, Ethirajan, Anbarasan, 1 February 2013, Bangladesh Buddhists pick up pieces after mob rampage,weblink BBC News, Ramu, Cox's Bazar District, 23 December 2016, 24 December 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161224094616weblink">weblink dead, The violence spread to Patiya Upazila in Chittagong District on Sunday. At noon, Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples were attacked in Patiya. After the midnight past Sunday i.e. on the early morning of 1 October 500 workers of the Western Marine shipping company torched two Buddhist monasteries and one Hindu temple in Patiya. In Kalagaon, the Ratnankur Bouddha Bihar and the Nabarun Sangha Durgabari were torched as was the Abhay Bouddha Bihar in Lakhera.Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are suspected to be involved in the attacks. On Tuesday afternoon, 2 October, three Rohingyas were arrested by the police in Chakaria Upazila of Cox's Bazar District while they were trying to attack a Buddhist monastery in Manikpur.NEWS, 3 Rohingyas held in Cox's Bazar,weblink Daily Sun, 3 October 2012, 3 October 2012,

Investigation

On 30 September, an official inquiry committee was constituted and headed by Nurul Islam, the Additional Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Division. It sat on 1 October and reviewed the reports of the Upazila Nirbahi Officers of the troubled upazilas and the daily newspaper reports.The Supreme Court on 12 May 2014 directed Tofail Ahmed, upazila chairman of Naikhangchhari upazila of Bandarban, to surrender before a lower court in four weeks in connection with the attack and vandalisation of a Buddhist temple at Ramu in Cox's Bazar in 2012. Tofail is the prime suspect in the Ramu incident according to a governmental investigation report.WEB, SC cancels key Ramu attacker's bail,weblink The Daily Star, 12 May 2014,

Reactions

Groups of Buddhist monks and Hindu groups in Burma,NEWS, Burmese Buddhists protest attacks,weblink The Scotsman, 6 October 2012, 6 October 2012, India,WEB, Buddhists, Hindus in Tripura protest against attack on Bangladesh temples,weblink News Track India, 9 October 2012, 9 October 2012, Sri Lanka,PRESS RELEASE, Bangladesh embassy stoned during monks' protest,weblink Agence France-Presse, 4 October 2012, 6 October 2012, and Thailand demonstrated in response to the anti-Buddhist violence in Bangladesh. In Colombo, Sri Lanka, some protested outside the Bangladeshi embassy and a petition was delivered condemning the attacks.Some windows of the Bangladeshi embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka were vandalized before police arrived and dispersed the protest.On 6 October, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina condemned the anti-Buddhist violence, stated her belief that it was premeditated, and urged restraint over the issue.NEWS, Attack on Buddhist Temples premeditated: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,weblink Asian Tribune, 7 October 2012, 7 October 2012, On 8 October the Prime Minister herself visited the affected areas and condemned the incident while promising proper justice.WEB,weblink PM visits Ramu, meets victims, 8 October 2012, bdnews24.com, 8 October 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121116094925weblink">weblink 16 November 2012, dead, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed Bangladesh Army to rebuild these temples under a project, titled 'Rebuilding and Renovation of damaged Buddhist Temples', spending Tk 200 million. The Bangladesh Army rebuilt and renovated these Buddhist temples and Bihars in 19 separate places incorporating the traditional designs of the renowned architects from the Buddhist community.NEWS, 10 March 2014, President visits rebuilt Buddhist temples in Ramu,weblink Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), 6 June 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305024306weblink">weblink 5 March 2016, dead, President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid on 10 January 2014 visited several rebuilt Buddhist temples and centers at Ramu upazila of Cox's Bazar. During the visit, president enquired about the wellbeing of local Buddhist community and distributed cheques to the affected members of the community.

Places of worship destroyed

{{unreferenced section|date=August 2015}}{| class="wikitable sortable"! Sl. No.! Name! Type! Place! Date| 1| Saada Ching| Buddhist Temple

Ramu Upazila>Ramu, Cox's Bazar District| 30 September 2012

| 2| Laal Ching| Buddhist Temple

Ramu Upazila>Ramu, Cox's Bazar District| 30 September 2012

| 4| Shreekul Cheranghata Barakyang Temple| Buddhist Monastery

Ramu Upazila>Ramu, Cox's Bazar District| 30 September 2012

| 6| Ramu Kendriyo Shima Bihar| Buddhist Monastery

Ramu Upazila>Ramu, Cox's Bazar District| 30 September 2012

| 7| Shreekul Maitree Bihar| Buddhist Monastery

Ramu Upazila>Ramu, Cox's Bazar District| 30 September 2012

| 9| Jadiparha Bouddha Bihar| Buddhist Monastery

Ramu Upazila>Ramu, Cox's Bazar District| 30 September 2012

| 10| Mithacharhi Bonbihar| Buddhist Monastery

Ramu Upazila>Ramu, Cox's Bazar District| 30 September 2012

| 11| Uttar Mithacharhi Bimukti Bhabna Kendra| Buddhist Monastery

Ramu Upazila>Ramu, Cox's Bazar District| 30 September 2012

| 15| Pashchim Ratna Sudarshan Bouddha Bihar| Buddhist Monastery

Ukhia Upazila>Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar District| 30 September 2012

| 16| Dipankar Bouddha Bihar| Buddhist Monastery

Ukhia Upazila>Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar District| 1 October 2012

| 17| Pragyamitra Bouddha Bihar| Buddhist Monastery

Ukhia Upazila>Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar District| 1 October 2012

| 18| Balukia Kalachand Bijayanta Bibekaram Bihar| Buddhist Monastery

Ukhia Upazila>Ukhia, Cox's Bazar District| 1 October 2012

| 19| Ghona Jojoba Bihar| Buddhist Monastery

Ukhia Upazila>Ukhia, Cox's Bazar District| 1 October 2012

| 20| Mahayana Bihar| Buddhist Monastery

Ukhia Upazila>Ukhia, Cox's Bazar District| 1 October 2012

| 21| Ratnankur Bouddha Bihar| Buddhist Monastery

Patiya Upazila>Patiya, Chittagong District| 1 October 2012

| 22| Abhay Bouddha Bihar| Buddhist Monastery

Patiya Upazila>Patiya, Chittagong District| 1 October 2012

| 23| Nabarun Sangha Durga Mandir| Hindu Temple

Patiya Upazila>Patiya, Chittagong District| 1 October 2012

| 24| Matri Mandir| Hindu Temple

Patiya Upazila>Patiya, Chittagong District| 1 October 2012

See also

• 2012 Rakhine State riots

References

{{reflist}}