Homes of Hindu families set on fire in Chittagong; Cases filed against unknown persons, no arrests so far

New Delhi: The homes of Hindu families were set on fire in the Chittagong district of Bangladesh on Monday, December 22 at around 3:45 AM. The incident took place in West Sultanpur village, where two Hindu families’ houses were torched. It is alleged that the attackers locked the doors from the outside before setting the houses on fire.

Seven Rooms Completely Destroyed

According to locals, a total of seven rooms in the two houses were completely destroyed by the fire. The houses belonged to Sukha Shil and Anil Shil, a daily wage laborer. Eight people were present in the houses at the time of the incident. They had all gone to sleep after dinner when the fire suddenly broke out.

When the family members tried to get out, they found that the doors were locked from the outside. To save their lives, they somehow managed to escape by cutting through the bamboo and tin walls.

Passport, Cash, Documents And Household Items Burnt in the Fire

Anil Shil’s son, Mithun Shil, said that he had come home from Dubai three months ago for his wedding. His passport, household items, and approximately 80-90 thousand taka in cash were destroyed in the fire. Mithun said, “Both doors were locked from the outside, so everyone tried to get out by cutting through the walls.”

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) S.M. Rahatul Islam and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Ongching Marma visited the site to assess the damage and assured the victims of assistance. The affected families were given 25 kg of rice, 5,000 taka in cash, and blankets.

Cases Of Killings And Atrocities Against Bangladesh Hindus

Cases of killings and atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh have increased, and violent incidents have also escalated after the murder of Bangladeshi student leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

Police are working to identify the culprits. Cases have been filed against unknown persons, but no arrests have been made so far.

Murder Of Hindu Youth Deepu Chandra Das

Recently, after the murder of Hindu youth Deepu Chandra Das in Bangladesh, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asked the central government to pay attention to the increasing violence against Hindu, Christian and Buddhist minorities. Priyanka mentioned the brutal killing of religious minorities in Bangladesh, and called the news of the brutal murder of Hindu youth Deepu Chandra Das by a mob in Bangladesh “extremely worrying”.