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by IANS |
Kathmandu, Feb 23 (IANS) The local administration in Nepal’s Parsa district on Monday imposed a curfew in parts of the border town of Birgunj, citing security concerns following tensions between Hindu and Muslim groups in the Shripur area of the city.
Tensions between the two communities in Birgunj surfaced a few days after similar clashes erupted in Gaur, the district headquarters of another southern border district, Rautahat.
These incidents have occurred just days ahead of the scheduled elections for the House of Representatives on March 5.
The District Administration Office (DAO), Parsa, said the curfew has been enforced within the boundaries of Birgunj Bypass in the east, Sirsiya River in the west, Gandak Chowk in the north, and Shankaracharya Gate in the south.
“The order has been effective from 9:45 am on Monday until further notice,” the DAO said. During this period, all gatherings, processions, demonstrations, assemblies, meetings, and sit-ins within the designated areas have been prohibited.
Chief District Officer Bhola Dahal told IANS that the curfew was imposed to prevent an escalation of tension following the clash between two groups in the Shripur area.
Local police said the prohibitory order was issued following a dispute over road parking that threatened to turn into religious strife. “On Sunday evening, a four-wheeler driven by a Muslim man could not pass through a road due to motorcycles parked by some Hindu youths in Shripur. The local dispute threatened to escalate into a Hindu-Muslim confrontation due to insulting chants exchanged between the two sides,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Hari Bahadur Basnet, spokesperson for the District Police Office, Parsa.
He said that the situation has come under control following the enforcement of the curfew.
Birgunj, which borders India’s Raxaul town, is the main gateway for Nepal’s exports and imports and one of the key entry points between the two countries. The city, home to both Hindu and Muslim communities, has witnessed sporadic religious tensions.
In early January, a curfew was imposed in Birgunj following vandalism of a mosque in Dhanusha district, another district of southern Madhesh Province, to prevent potential religious unrest amid protests by Muslim groups.
In Gaur city of Rautahat, clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups erupted late last week after a Hindu wedding procession came into conflict with members of the Muslim community performing religious rituals during the month of Ramadan.
Basnet said the prohibitory order was necessary to prevent a minor local dispute from escalating into a wider Hindu-Muslim conflict and polarization.
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