Another Hindu businessman in Bangladesh was stabbed and an attempt was made to set him on fire in a violent attack that has sparked concern over the safety of religious minorities, police and local media reports said.
The incident occurred in Bangladesh’s Shariatpur district, where the victim, a local trader, was reportedly attacked by a group of assailants armed with sharp weapons. After stabbing him multiple times, the attackers allegedly poured a flammable substance on his body and attempted to set him ablaze before fleeing the scene.
The businessman was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he is undergoing treatment. Doctors said his condition is serious but stable. Police have registered a case and launched a manhunt to identify and arrest those involved in the attack.
Law enforcement officials said preliminary investigations are underway to determine the motive, including whether the assault was linked to religious identity, personal rivalry, or business-related disputes. “All angles are being examined, and no possibility has been ruled out,” a senior police officer said.
Earlier, India demanded punishment for those responsible for last week's lynching of a Hindu youth in the Mymensingh district, calling the "unremitting hostilities" against minorities in Bangladesh a "grave concern" on Friday.
New Delhi also reacted cautiously to the return to Dhaka of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman after 17 years, saying it should be seen in the context of India's push for ensuring free, fair and inclusive parliamentary polls in that country.
According to Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesman for the External Affairs Ministry, India denounced the recent killing of Dipu Chandra Das and called for the prosecution of those responsible. "The unremitting hostilities against the minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists at the hands of extremists, is a matter of grave concern." "We condemn the recent gruesome killing of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh and expect that the perpetrators of the crime will be brought to justice," Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.
Bangladeshi authorities have already arrested 12 people for Das's murder.
"Over 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities, including cases of killings, arson and land grab, have been documented by independent sources during the tenure of the interim government," Jaiswal said.
