Hindu minor, Sourabh Chandra Roy, was allegedly dragged into a mosque in Bangladesh’s Lalmonirhat
Kaliganj, Lalmonirhat: A disturbing incident involving a Hindu minor in Bangladesh’s Lalmonirhat district has triggered serious questions over the safety and the police response after a teenage boy was allegedly dragged into a mosque and brutally assaulted following an accusation of theft.
On August 27, minor Sourabh Chandra Roy was allegedly taken inside the Chaparhat Al-Hera Jame Masjid in Kaliganj after being accused of theft. Sourabh’s family, local residents and journalist Asaduzzaman Sazu have reportedly disputed the allegation, describing the theft charge as fabricated.
According to accounts cited in connection with the incident, Sourabh was initially tied up and beaten. He was subsequently untied, allegedly dragged towards the mosque verandah and subjected to another assault, leaving him with multiple visible injuries.
The allegations have raised concerns not only about the violence inflicted on the minor but also about whether authorities have acted swiftly and impartially against those responsible.
The most serious allegation comes from Sourabh himself. While showing his injuries, the minor reportedly told media, that his attackers brutally tortured him after confirming that he was Hindu. “They tortured me brutally after confirming my Hindu identity,” Sourabh said.
The allegation, if established through an impartial investigation, would take the incident beyond a case of alleged assault following a theft accusation and raise grave concerns about possible religious discrimination and targeted violence.
Photographs and accounts surrounding the incident reportedly show injuries sustained by the minor. The circumstances in which he was allegedly taken into the mosque, restrained and assaulted now require a transparent investigation, including establishing who ordered or participated in the assault and whether the original theft allegation had any basis.
According to the information available as of August 30, police had detained only one alleged accomplice, while the principal accused had not been arrested. Sourabh’s family and local residents have further alleged that sections of the police are protecting the principal suspects and attempting to weaken or derail the case.
The central demand from the victim’s family is therefore straightforward, identify every person involved, establish the facts surrounding the assault and ensure that those responsible face the law regardless of their social, religious or political standing.
For Sourabh’s mother, Shantona Rani, the incident has left a family struggling not only with the physical injuries suffered by her son but also with a deep sense of helplessness. Overcome with grief, she said, “There is no one here to provide us justice.”
