Dhaka: Rioters in northwestern Bangladesh set fire to the house of a Hindu family with no political affiliations. This is the latest in a series of attacks targeting the minority community since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. The incident took place at Farabari Mandirpara village under Akacha Union of Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila on Tuesday evening, hours after interim government chief Mohammad Yunus assured the worried minority community that his government would punish the culprits.
Earlier on Wednesday, there was an incident of targeted arson. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance claimed that since the fall of the Hasina-led government on August 5, 278 places in 48 districts have been attacked and they have been intimidated. The alliance termed it an “attack on Hinduism”. Achcha Union Parishad (UP) president Subrata Kumar Barman told ‘The Daily Star’ newspaper that unidentified persons set fire to the house of Kaleshwar Barman in Farabari Mandirpara village of Achcha Union in Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila at around 7:30 pm on Tuesday evening.
He said the locals acted swiftly and controlled the fire and the people living in the house managed to escape safely. The union council chairman said Kaleshwar Barman had no links with any political organisation. Officer-in-charge of Thakurgaon police station ABM Feroz Waheed said, “Police visited the spot the same night, and efforts are on to identify the culprits.”
