Attacked In Dhaka For Religious Identity: Indian Tourist Recalls Horror On Return To Bengal

Kolkata: A 21-year-old Indian tourist, Sayan Ghosh, was allegedly attacked in Dhaka for his religious identity. As he returned to his home in Bengal’s Belgharia area, he recalled his traumatic memories of Bangladesh, which is currently witnessing unrest as Hindu minorities are being attacked and temples vandalised there.

Ghosh travelled to Dhaka on November 23 to visit a friend, reported the Times Now. On November 26, as he was preparing to return to India, he was allegedly attacked at an ice cream shop in Dhaka’s Baganbari area. According to reports, a group of men approached Ghosh and his friend at the ice cream shop and asked them about their native places.

“Some Muslim youths came to us and asked me where I was from. I told them I’m from India. Then they asked about my religious identity. When I said I’m Hindu, they dragged me to the roadside, snatched my wallet, money, and phone, and started beating me. They attacked me with a knife and stones. I suffered injuries to my face and head,” he told the Times Now.

Ghosh’s friend, who tried to stop the attackers, was also assaulted.

“They kept saying, ‘Why did an Indian Hindu come to our country?’ No one stepped in to help us,” Ghosh said, as quoted by Times Now.

Ghosh also alleged that none of the police stations in Dhaka registered his complaint and the authorities refused to help him. At Dhaka Medical College Hospital, he was given only the first aid. The next morning, some local men came visited his friend’s house and threatened them again, he alleged.

As he recalled the horrific experience, he claimed that no Indian Hindu should visit Bangladesh.

Journalist Heckled, Arrested

Meanwhile, a mob surrounded senior journalist Munni Saha in Dhaka, as seen in a viral video. They accused her of spreading misinformation. The mob claimed the journalist was ‘doing everything to make Bangladesh a part of India.’ Later, a police team took her into custody.

A video showing Saha surrounded by a mob went viral. In the video, a voice is audible accusing her of misguiding people regarding the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles mutiny that claimed 57 lives. “You are doing everything you can to make this country a part of India. The blood of students is on your hands,” the journalist is told as she nods in denial.

“How can you be a citizen of this country and harm this country,” a voice in the mob is heard telling her. To this, the journalist says, “How have I harmed? This is also my country.”

Detective Branch (DB) officers of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested Saha from Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar around 9:30 pm on Saturday, said DB Additional Commissioner Rezaul Karim Mallik, according to Times Now.