Hindu man dies in Bangladesh after mob chase over theft allegation

A Hindu man in Bangladesh has died after he jumped into a waterbody while being chased by a mob, which accused him of theft. The incident, which took place in Naogaon, was confirmed by local police on Wednesday (January 6).

“Mob accused deceased of theft’

Naogao Police Super Mohammad Tariqul Islam said that the deceased has been identified as Mithun Sarkar, adding that further investigation was being conducted.

"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," Islam told ANI over the phone.

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“We are conducting a post-mortem on Mithun Sarkar's body and investigating the incident," he added without divulging further details.

Similar incidents have taken place in Bangladesh amid continuing unrest following the death of a prominent student leader, Sharif Osman Hadi, in December last year.

Attack on December 18

The first such incident was reported on December 18, soon after news of Hadi’s death surfaced. A Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched by a mob over allegations of blasphemy, which later proved to be false. His body was reportedly tied to a tree and set on fire.

Also Read: Hadi killing: Bangladesh group demands cancellation of Indians’ work permits

The latest case comes close on the heels of the killing of a 40-year-old Hindu grocery shop owner in Narsingdi city. According to local media reports, the victim, Moni Chakraborty, was attacked with a sharp weapon by unidentified assailants.

Bangladeshi media outlet bdnews24 reported that Moni Chakraborty was assaulted at Charsindhur Bazar in Palash Upazila around 11 pm on Monday. Palash Police Station officer-in-charge Shahed Al Mamun said Moni was the son of Madan Thakur of Sadharchar Union in Shibpur Upazila.

Another attack in Charsindhur Bazar

Police and local residents said Moni had been running a grocery shop at Charsindhur Bazar for a long time and was returning home after closing the shop when he was attacked. He collapsed on the spot after being struck with a sharp, locally made weapon. He was the third Hindu businessman to be killed in recent weeks.

Also Read: Fresh attacks on Hindus reported in Bangladesh, two killed within 24 hours

The incident took place just hours after another Hindu businessman, Rana Pratap Bairagi, who was also the acting editor of a newspaper, was fatally shot in the head by unidentified men in Jessore district.

Rana Pratap Bairagi, 38, a resident of Arua village in Keshabpur upazila of Jessore in the Khulna Division, was shot at Kapalia Bazaar around 5:45 pm on Monday, according to Bangladesh media reports.

Earlier, on January 3, Khokon Chandra Das, 50, died after he was brutally attacked, hacked and set on fire.