Hindu Man Brutally Attacked, Critically Injured And Set On Fire By Mob In Bangladesh | India News

Bangladesh witnessed another attack on a Hindu man on December 31 amid growing concerns about increased violence against religious minorities in the country. 50-year-old Khokon Das was allegedly attacked with sharp weapons, beaten and set on fire by a gang on his way to his home in Shariatpur district. This incident marks the fourth attack on Hindus in Bangladesh in two weeks.

The brutality of the attack sparked outrage among rights groups, who noted an alarming increase in targeted violence, NDTV reports.

On December 24, 29-year-old Amrit Mondal was reportedly lynched by a mob in Hossaindanga district of Kalimohar Union, while on December 18, 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das was brutally murdered in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka Upazila. In this attack, Das was accused of blasphemy by a Muslim colleague, killed by a mob, and his body was hung from a tree before being set on fire.

Multiple attacks have sparked international criticism, with human rights organizations and neighboring India voicing concerns about the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.

Last week, India objected to what it described as the “unremitting hostility” faced by Hindus, Christians and Buddhists in Bangladesh and said it was monitoring the situation closely.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed India’s concerns, calling them “incorrect, exaggerated and misleading”.

“We observe systematic attempts to portray individual criminal incidents as systematic persecution of Hindus and use them maliciously to spread anti-Bangladesh sentiments in various parts of India. Individual incidents are exaggerated, misrepresented and publicized in order to incite ordinary Indians against Bangladesh.”

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, meanwhile, criticized the Younis-led interim government, saying it “failed to protect religious minorities and allowed extremists to dictate foreign policy.” He added:

“This hostility is generated by extremists emboldened by the Younis regime. These are the same actors who marched on the Indian Embassy, ​​attacked our media offices, attacked minorities with impunity, forcing me and my family to flee for our lives. A responsible government will protect diplomatic missions and prosecute those who threaten them. Instead, Younis gives immunity to the hooligans and calls them warriors.”

Amid these tensions, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Dhaka on December 31 to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. During his four-hour visit, he met her son and Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman, delivering a letter of condolence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit came at a time when diplomatic relations were frosty following the rise of the Younis interim government.