As attacks against religious minorities continue to rise in Bangladesh, a Hindu family’s house was completely destroyed in a fire in Paschim Dumritola village of Pirojpur Sadar Upazila in the southern part of the country. The incident adds to a series of disturbing acts of targeted violence reported in recent days.
What Happened in Dumritola Village
According to several media reports, unidentified attackers set fire to the home of the Saha family on December 27. The attackers reportedly targeted several rooms of the house by placing a cloth inside one of the rooms and lighting it. The flames quickly spread and consumed the entire structure.
A report by News18 said the fire destroyed five rooms of the house. The property belonged to Palash Kanti Saha, Shib Saha, Dipak Saha, Shyamalendu Saha, and Ashok Saha.
Family members said the fire wiped out everything they owned. Furniture, cash, land papers, school certificates, and other important documents were all reduced to ashes.
Strong Reaction From Taslima Nasreen
Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen reacted strongly to the incident on social media platform X. She wrote, “In Dumritola village of Pirojpur, five rooms of the Saha family’s house were burned down by Hindu-hating jihadis. They set the house on fire in the early hours of the morning, when everyone was asleep.”
She also referred to similar attacks in another part of the country, adding, “In Raozan, Chattogram, jihadis had set fire to Hindu homes in the same way, at dawn. Will all the remaining Hindu homes in the country be burned like this? They want to burn Hindus alive; that is why they set fires when people are asleep. Is Yunus just playing the flute?”
Also Read: Bangladesh Dismisses India’s Minority Violence Concerns as ‘Isolated Acts’
Similar Attack Near Chattogram
Just last week, another Hindu-owned house near the port city of Chattogram was also set on fire by unknown attackers. The families inside woke up due to the intense heat but found themselves trapped because the doors were locked from the outside.
All eight family members from two households managed to escape by cutting through tin sheets and bamboo fencing. However, they lost all their belongings, and their pets were killed in the fire.
Political Tensions Fueling Violence
The recent wave of violence follows the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi earlier this month. He was shot in the head on December 12 and later taken to Singapore for treatment, where he died from his injuries.
His death sparked massive unrest across Bangladesh. Thousands of supporters took to the streets and attacked media organisations, including The Daily Star and Prothom Alo.
In Mymensingh, a mob lynched a young Hindu factory worker, Dipu Chandra Das, over blasphemy allegations and then set his body on fire. The incident caused international outrage and protests.
Another Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, was also killed by a mob on Wednesday over an extortion allegation.
In response to the violence, Yunus’ office released a statement saying, “allegations, rumours or differences of belief can never excuse violence, and no individual has the right to take the law into their own hands”.
