Hindu Man Dies in Bangladesh After Jumping into Pond to Escape Mob
A Hindu man in Bangladesh, Mithun Sarkar, died after jumping into a pond to escape a mob accusing him of theft, police said on Wednesday. The incident happened in Naogaon district. According to Police Superintendent Mohammad Tariqul Islam, the mob chased Sarkar, and he drowned while fleeing. “A mob chased him. He jumped into the water and died. Police recovered his body with help from the fire service. We are conducting a post-mortem and investigating the case,” he added.
Rising Violence Against Hindus
This attack is the latest in a wave of violence against Hindus after student leader Sharif Osman Hadi died in December. Earlier, on December 18, a mob lynched Dipu Chandra Das over false blasphemy rumors. They tied his body to a tree and set it on fire. Since then, attackers have targeted multiple Hindu residents, raising fear among minority communities. In addition, local authorities have struggled to prevent further attacks.
Recent Attacks on Hindu Business Owners
Violence against Hindu business owners has escalated across Bangladesh. On Monday night, attackers killed 40-year-old grocery shop owner Moni Chakraborty in Charsindhur Bazar, Narsingdi, using a sharp weapon. Meanwhile, hours earlier, unidentified men shot Rana Pratap Bairagi, a Hindu businessman and acting newspaper editor in Jessore, in the head.
Following these incidents, earlier in January, attackers hacked and set Khokon Chandra Das, 50, on fire. Similarly, on December 24, they allegedly lynched Amrit Mondal over extortion claims in Rajbari town. As a result, repeated attacks have alarmed residents and highlighted the urgent need to protect minority communities.
Calls for Immediate Action
Human rights organizations have demanded that the government take strong measures to protect minority communities and arrest the attackers. However, the rising attacks show that without swift action, more Hindus could face similar threats. In addition, locals fear that continued violence will leave minority communities increasingly vulnerable.
