Another Hindu man attacked, set on fire in Bangladesh
What's the story
In another shocking incident of mob violence in Bangladesh, a 50-year-old Hindu man was attacked and set ablaze. The incident took place on December 31 in Shariatpur district when the victim, Khokon Das (50), an owner of a small medicine shop, was returning home. A mob allegedly ambushed him, assaulted him with sharp weapons, beat him repeatedly, and then set him on fire.
Rising violence
Recent mob violence incidents against Hindus in Bangladesh
The attack on the 50-year-old man is part of a series of recent mob violence incidents targeting Hindus. On December 24, a 29-year-old Hindu youth named Amrit Mondal was allegedly lynched by a mob in the Hossaindanga area. Earlier, on December 18, another Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das was brutally killed in Bhaluka Upazila after false blasphemy allegations were leveled against him by a Muslim coworker. The mob then hung his body on a tree before lighting it on fire.
Diplomatic tensions
India-Bangladesh relations strained amid minority attacks
The latest incident also comes after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to Dhaka for the funeral of former prime minister Khaleda Zia. During his visit, he handed over a letter of condolences from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman. The commissioner of Bangladesh to India, Riaz Hamidullah, expressed hope for improved relations between the two countries on X (formerly Twitter).
Diplomatic strain
Strained ties between India and Bangladesh since last year
Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's government in August last year, ties between India and Bangladesh have been strained. A leading human rights organization in Bangladesh, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), revealed that "mob terrorism" has increased at an alarming rate throughout 2025. As per the findings, mob violence claimed 197 lives from January to December. Since the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government took office in 2024, at least 293 people have been killed in mob violence.