Prof Ratan Siddiqui's house attacked in Uttara
The incident took place post-Jumma prayers on Friday when the professor asked a group of people to clear the entrance of his house to park his car
A group of agitated people has allegedly attacked the residence of Professor Dr Ratan Siddiqui, former chairman of the National Curricula and Textbook Board (NCTB) and vice-president of Bangladesh Udichi Shilpi Goshthi, in the capital's Uttara.
The incident took place post-Jumma prayers on Friday when the professor asked a group of people to clear the entrance of his house to park his car.
Dr Ratan Siddiqui alleged that hundreds of people attacked the gate of his house and tried to break it down, chanting slogans against his family and labelling them as "anti-Islam".
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He said, "I was returning home with my wife on Friday afternoon when we saw a motorbike parked in front of our gate blocking the driveway.
"As we asked the motorcyclist to move the two-wheeler, he started a squabble on the false allegations that I had mocked the religion. The group also misbehaved with my wife."
"Soon after hundreds of people joined them – including locals and worshipers in the mosque opposite to my house – and physically assaulted my chauffeur and me," he added.
According to police, Friday's altercation was over parking a motorcycle which was later settled.
Speaking with the media, Md Morshed Alam, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP-Uttara zone), said, "Someone parked his motorcycle in front of the professor's house and went to pray in the adjacent mosque.
"When Dr Ratan returned home in his car, the chauffeur honked to remove the vehicle from the driveway of his building. This angered the worshippers there and ensued a heated exchange."
Asked if any complaints have been lodged in this regard, DC Morshed Alam said, "We are yet to receive any complaints from any of the parties involved."
