Bangladesh: Hindu man dies after being chased by mob over theft charge, say police

In another incident involving a Hindu youth in Bangladesh, a man identified as Mithun Sarkar died after being chased by miscreants who accused him of theft, police said on Wednesday.

According to officials, the incident took place in Mohadevpur area of Naogaon district, where Sarkar allegedly jumped into a water body while trying to escape and drowned.

“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, Superintendent of Police, Naogaon, told ANI over the phone.

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

The incident comes amid a reported rise in communal violence in Bangladesh as the country approaches its 13th National Parliamentary Election. According to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, at least 51 incidents of violence were reported in December alone.

These included 10 murders, 10 cases of theft and robbery, 23 incidents involving the occupation of homes, business establishments, temples and land, along with looting and arson.

The statement also cited four cases of arrest and torture over allegations of religious defamation and being “agents of RAW,” one attempted rape, and three incidents of physical assault.

The trend has continued into the first week of January. 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 in Shariatpur, leading to his death. On the same day, the family of Milan Das in Amuchia Union under Boalkhali Upazila in Chattogram was held hostage during a robbery.

A similar incident was reported on January 3 from Homna in Cumilla, where the house of Sanu Das was looted of 10 bhori of gold ornaments, 12 bhori of silver, and cash amounting to 20,000 taka, the council said.