Guwahati: Hindu rights organisations in Bangladesh staged a protest on Monday, May 26, in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, demanding immediate justice for the arson and looting of Hindu homes in Jessore’s Abhaynagar upazila. The demonstration, organised by the Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mahajot and Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Chhatra Mahajot, condemned the targeted attack on at least 20 Hindu families in Badreda Para of Dahrmsiahati village during a local religious festival.
The protesters alleged that the attack, which occurred on the evening of May 22, followed the killing of a local BNP leader, Tariqul Islam, and resulted in widespread destruction, looting, and terrorizing of the minority Hindu community. Houses were set ablaze, ransacked, and robbed, while terrified residents were forced to flee. Many victims have since been spending nights at relatives’ homes in nearby villages, unable to return due to continued fear and insecurity.
According to eyewitnesses and protest leaders, the attackers operated for nearly four hours, torching houses and vandalizing shops in the nearby Sundoli market. Alarmingly, local administration and fire services reportedly reached the scene after 11 PM, long after the fires had caused significant damage. Police were allegedly blocked by barricades, and the fire brigade was initially prevented from intervening. The fire was eventually brought under control by a team from Monirampur, accompanied by the army.
Despite the scale and brutality of the attack, no arrests have been made three days after the incident, further deepening the anguish and anxiety of the local Hindu community. Protesters criticized the administrative inaction and questioned the silence of key political and civil society actors.
“We hoped that under the present interim government, Hindus would live in peace and safety. But this barbaric incident has shattered that hope,” a protester stated. Leaders of the Hindu Mahajot called the attack a direct assault on religious freedom and human rights, demanding swift arrests, exemplary punishment of the culprits, and adequate compensation for the affected families.
The incident has sent shockwaves across Hindu communities in Bangladesh, with civil society groups and human rights advocates urging the government to take immediate action to restore faith among minorities.
