Hindu family's house torched in Bangladesh's Thakurgaon

Targeted attacks on Hindus continue in Bangladesh, which plunged into chaos on August 5 when Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign as Prime Minister and flee Dhaka. Ever since she left the country, the Hindus have faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts of Bangladesh.

Today, the Daily Star reported that a house of a Hindu family was torched in the Farabari Mandirpara village in Akcha union under Thakurgaon Sadar upazila. The incident took place late Tuesday. 

Subrata Kumar Barman, chairman of Akcha Union Parishad, told the newspaper that unidentified individuals set fire to Kaleshwar Barman's house around 7:30 pm on Tuesday. Locals quickly responded and managed to control the fire, and the house's occupants were able to escape unharmed.

ABM Firoz Waheed, Officer-in-Charge of Thakurgaon Police Station, said, "Police visited the spot the same night, and an investigation is ongoing to identify the perpetrators." 

Kaleshwar Barman had no political affiliation, Subrata Kumar Barman said. 

Daily Star also reported that a similar incident happened a few days earlier in Nimbari Kamarpara village of the same union. Ananta Barman's house was burned down, leaving all valuables destroyed. Rabin Roy, a resident of Farabari, said people from the Hindu community are living in fear after these incidents started following the fall of the former government.

On Monday, the Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance said that after the fall of the Hasina regime, the Hindu community had faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts. The alliance said the incidents of vandalism, looting, arson, land grabbing, and threats to leave the country had been repeatedly inflicted on the Hindu community due to the change in the government. 

"This is not just an attack on individuals but an assault on the Hindu religion," said Palash Kanti Dey, spokesperson of the alliance, in a press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka.