As Hindus Face Attacks, Yunus Appears To Lose Control In Bangladesh

The Indian visa application centre in Bangladesh's Chittagong (Chattogram) has shut down indefinitely after the security situation worsened, with Islamist radicals creating chaos and targeting minorities.

"Due to the recent security incident at AHCI Chittagong, Indian visa operations at IVAC Chittagong will remain suspended from 21/12/2025 until further notice. The announcement for reopening the visa center will be made after reviewing the situation," the visa application centre said in a statement.

This centre covers applicants from Dhaka, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna. It is, however, offering limited appointment slots for Bangladesh nationals who need urgent medical and other emergency visas.

With radicals fanning anti-India sentiments, minorities, especially Hindus in Bangladesh, are bearing the brunt of targeted attacks at the behest of radical groups that have been emboldened by the lack of visible action on part of the law enforcement to prevent such incidents.

Reports of Gobinda Biswas, a rickshaw-puller being assaulted by a mob, have come in from Jhenaidah, 200 km from Dhaka. The mob reportedly targeted him because of a red thread on his wrist. They also called him a "R&AW agent," referring to India's Research and Analysis Wing.

Videos on social media show Biswas repeatedly saying he is just a rickshaw-puller, but no one listened as a group of policemen led him away. He was left with injuries after a brutal assault.

The probe into Dipu Chandra Das' death found no evidence to suggest he said anything against the Prophet.

The Bangladesh media reported that the police found no evidence to link any comment about the Prophet with Dipu Chandra Das, who was killed by a radical Islamist mob. However, the police have not clarified who the men were who were seen in what seemed to be police uniform.

"The incident began around 4 pm that day (Thursday). The factory floor in-charge forced him (Dipu) to resign and handed him over to an enraged mob. We arrested two factory officials because they did not hand him over to the police and failed to ensure his safety," Bangladesh daily Prothom Alo reported RAB-14 Mymensingh commander Naimul Hasan said.

"The issue of blasphemy is extremely vague. We tried to find out what he had actually said, but no one could clarify it. We are investigating whether there was any prior enmity. It has not yet been possible to identify with whom the incident initially began. We have learned that an argument broke out on the factory floor while work was going on and it was no longer possible to keep him inside the factory," Prothom Alo reported Hasan as saying.

These incidents of targeted attacks have led to criticism of the interim government's handling of the issue, especially the Muhammad Yunus-led government's decision to empower groups like the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh that was banned under the Sheikh Hasina government for terror links.

Yunus' pro-Pakistan policy and high-level political and military visits from Pakistan, including presence of ISI operatives in Bangladesh, has also led many to believe that with the support of pro-Pakistan elements, radical groups are causing mayhem while the Yunus-led government remains a bystander.

"Dipu Chandra Das. In Bangladesh at this moment, no reason is needed to burn and kill anyone simply for being Hindu," professor Arifa Rahman Ruma, associate professor at Bangladesh Open University said. 

Radical mobs that have taken over the streets have been justifying the killing of Dipu Chandra Das as minorities, especially Hindus, find themselves at the receiving end of targeted sectarian violence as a result of misguided and baseless India bashing since the shooting of Sharif Osman Hadi.

Political analysts say the violence is being carried out with a dual motive - while the first one is to steer Bangladesh towards hardline Islam, the second is to try and delay elections with chaos on the streets,

Radical mobs have targeted political rivals as elections approach. BNP leaders have faced violence as acting chairperson Tarique Rahman is scheduled to return to the country to lead his party into the elections.

The house of a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader was allegedly locked from the outside and set on fire in Lakshmipur Sadar upazila, local media reported. A child was killed and three others were injured on Saturday.

According to the police, the attack took place in the early hours of Saturday at the house of Belal Hossain, a businessman and assistant organising secretary of BNP in Bhabaniganj Union. Confirming the incident, the officer-in-charge of Lakshmipur Sadar Model Thana, Md Wahid Parvez, said Belal's seven-year-old daughter, Ayesha Akter, was burnt to death in the arson attack, news agency IANS reported.