Bangladesh: Another Hindu lynched, drowns after being chased by mob

Dhaka: Amid increasing attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, another murder of a Hindu youth has come to light.

What do we know about the case?

According to local media reports, a Hindu man who has been identified as Mithun Sarkar was lynched by a mob. The victim was reportedly chased by a group of men who accused him of theft when he jumped into a nearby water body and drowned.

Where did the attack take place?

The incident reportedly took place in the Mohadevpur area of Naogaon district in northern Bangladesh. 

What did the police say?

"In the northern district of Naogaon in Bangladesh, in an area called Mohadevpur, a Hindu young man named Mithun Sarkar was chased by a mob accusing him of theft. He jumped into the water and after he jumped in, he died. The police were informed and they recovered his body with the help of the fire service", Mohammad Tariqul Islam, Police Super (SP) of Naogoan, told the media on Wednesday.

"We are conducting a post-mortem on Mithun Sarkar's body and investigating the incident", he added.

What is the condition of Hindus in Bangladesh?

With the 13th National Parliamentary Election in Bangladesh approaching, communal violence is increasing at an alarming rate. In December alone, at least 51 incidents of violence were reported.

According to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, these included 10 murders, 10 cases of theft and robbery, 23 incidents involving the occupation of homes, business establishments, temples and land, looting and arson. Four cases of arrest and torture on false allegations of religious defamation and being "agents of RAW", one attempted rape, and three incidents of physical assault were also reported, the council said in a statement. 

The trend of violence has continued into the first week of January this year. On January 2, 96 decimals of paddy land belonging to Satya Ranjan Das in Ramgati, Lakshmipur, were set on fire. On January 3, businessman Khokan Chandra Das was hacked and set on fire, leading to his death in Shariatpur. On the same day at dawn, the family of Milan Das in Ward No. 4 of Amuchia Union under Boalkhali Upazila in Chattogram was held hostage during a robbery.

“A similar incident occurred the same day at Sanu Das's home in Homna, Cumilla, from which 10 bhori of gold ornaments, 12 bhori of silver, and cash totalling 20,000 taka were looted,” the statement said.