Dhaka: Violence against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh continues unabated with the house of a schoolteacher being set on fire in Sylhet. According to reports, the house of teacher Birendra Kumar Dey, widely known as Jhunu sir, located in Gowainghat upazila of Sylhet, was set on fire, causing fear and distress among the family and the local minority community.
A video of the incident shows efforts by family members to salvage their belongings. The house was completely gutted in the blaze. There were no immediate reports of any injuries. It is not known yet how the house was set on fire and the accused have still not been identified.
The incident has renewed concerns over the safety and security of religious minorities in Bangladesh. Acts of violence against the Hindus intensified after the announcement of general elections in the country.
Earlier this week, a senior Awami League leader and renowned Hindu musician Proloy Chaki died under mysterious circumstances in police custody, while in Chittagong, 28-year-old auto driver Samir Das was beaten and stabbed to death.
Bangladesh witnessed two Hindu deaths within 24 hours in a fresh spike of violence against the minority community, earlier this month. Sarat Chakraborty Moni (40), a grocery shop owner, was killed in Narsingdi while Hindu journalist Rana Pratap Bairagi was shot and had his throat slit in Manirampur, Jashore, on the same day.
Three residential houses belonging to members of the minority Hindu community were completely gutted in a devastating fire in Paschim Dumritala village under Pirojpur Sadar Upazila in southern Bangladesh in December.
These houses belonged to members of the Saha family, Palash Kanti Saha, Shib Saha, Dipak Saha, Shyamalendu Saha, and Ashok Saha. According to the affected families, the fire destroyed all household belongings, including furniture, cash, land records, educational certificates, and other important documents.
Days before that incident, a Hindu man identified as Amrit Mondal was beaten to death. The incident came days after the horrific lynching of Dipu Chandra Das by a mob in the violence-hit country.
According to reports, at least six Hindu men have lost their lives in violent attacks in Bangladesh since Das’s lynching.
India has strongly criticised the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for attempting to whitewash the communal nature of the crimes. In response, the Yunus-led administration sought to downplay reports of the incidents, including the killings, describing them as attempts “to destroy communal harmony through false propaganda.”
