Last Updated on January 1, 2026 9:11 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
A Hindu man was left with serious injuries after he was allegedly attacked by a mob and set on fire in Bangladesh’s Shariatpur district, in yet another incident that has intensified concerns over the safety of religious minorities in the country.
The victim, identified as 50-year-old Khokon Das, was returning home on December 31 when he was allegedly intercepted by a group of assailants. The mob assaulted him with sharp weapons, beat him repeatedly and then set him ablaze. He sustained severe burn injuries and was rushed to hospital, where he is undergoing treatment. There was no immediate official confirmation on arrests or the condition of the attackers.
The incident has spread fear among residents and is being cited as the fourth reported attack on a Hindu individual in recent weeks, amid growing allegations of rising communal violence.
Earlier, on December 24, 29-year-old Amrit Mondal, a Hindu youth, was allegedly lynched by a mob in the Hossaindanga area of Kalimohar Union. On December 18, another Hindu youth, 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, was reportedly killed in a mob attack at a factory in Bhaluka Upazila of Mymensingh following allegations of blasphemy by a co-worker. His body was later hung from a tree and set on fire, according to reports. Rights groups have described these incidents as part of a deeply worrying pattern.
The latest attack came a day after India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was in Dhaka to attend the funeral of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia. During his visit, Jaishankar met BNP leader Tarique Rahman and handed over a letter of condolence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The foreign minister’s nearly four-hour visit took place amid strained ties between the two countries since the Yunus-led interim government assumed power.
Last week, India expressed grave concern over what it described as “unremitting hostility” towards minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, and said it was closely monitoring developments. Human rights organisations have also raised alarm over the reported rise in attacks on minority communities.
Responding to New Delhi’s statement, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the concerns as “incorrect, exaggerated and misleading.” In a statement, the ministry said, “We observe that there are systematic attempts to portray isolated incidents of criminal acts as systematic persecution of Hindus and to maliciously use them to spread anti-Bangladesh sentiments in various parts of India. We see a selective and unwarranted bias in certain quarters, where isolated incidents are exaggerated, misrepresented and publicised in order to incite ordinary Indians against Bangladesh, its diplomatic missions and other establishments in India.”
Despite official reassurances, the attack on Khokon Das has once again renewed debate over minority safety in Bangladesh, with rights groups and observers warning that repeated incidents are deepening insecurity and communal tension across the country.