"Attack On Hindus Worrisome": India After 2 Men Lynched In Bangladesh

India has reacted sharply to the latest killing of a Hindu man in Bangladesh, describing a string of recent incidents targeting members of the minority community as "worrisome" and warning that such violence cannot be ignored.

Speaking on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi had taken serious note of the developments across the border. The Foreign Ministry said the attacks "cannot be brushed aside", condemned the violence against Hindus, and expressed hope that those responsible would be identified and punished.

"We are all aware of the recent developments in Bangladesh. We have been closely following them and as far as law and order situation is concerned, I have been apprising you from time to time as to what our position has been or should be and is today. The unremitting hostility against minorities in Bangladesh including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists at the hands of extremists is a matter of grave concern," Jaiswal said.

"We condemn the recent gruesome killing of a Hindu youth in Mymensingh and expect that the perpetrators of the crime will be brought to justice. Over 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities, including cases of killings, arsons, and land grabs, have been documented by independent sources during the tenure of the interim government. These incidents cannot be brushed aside as mere media exaggerations or dismissed as political violence," the spokesperson added. 

The remarks came a day after another Hindu man was lynched in Bangladesh, adding to a growing list of violent incidents involving members of the minority community over recent weeks.

Killing In Rajbari

According to local reports in Bangladesh, the most recent incident took place on Wednesday in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari town, roughly 145 km west of Dhaka. Police were quoted by The Daily Star as saying that the victim, identified as Amrit Mondal, was beaten to death by local residents following allegations of extortion.

Police said Mondal was suspected of leading a criminal gang involved in extortion and other illegal activities. On the day of the incident, he and several associates allegedly attempted to extort money from a resident's home. Locals confronted the group and beat Mondal, leaving him critically injured. The police rushed to the scene after receiving information and rescued Mondal in a critical condition. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead around 2:00 am.

Mondal's body was later sent to Rajbari Sadar Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Most of his alleged associates fled the area after the incident, but police said one man had been arrested and firearms recovered from his possession. Investigators also said Mondal had at least two cases registered against him, including a murder case.

The Mymensingh Lynching

The Rajbari killing occurred just days after another Hindu man was lynched in Mymensingh in an incident that triggered widespread outrage.

The victim, identified as Dipu Das, also referred to in some reports as 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, was a factory worker in Mymensingh city which is around 112 km north of Dhaka. According to police and local media, he was attacked over allegations of blasphemy.

Police said Das was first beaten by a mob outside a factory on Thursday night. He was later hanged from a tree. After the killing, the crowd left his body by the side of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and set it on fire, causing traffic to come to a halt on both sides of the road.

Videos of the lynching circulated widely on social media, fuelling public anger and concern.

Interim Government Response

Bangladesh's interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, strongly condemned the killing. In a statement carried by the state-run BSS news agency, the government said it did not support "any kind of illegal activities, mass beatings or violence".

At the same time, the interim administration maintained that the Rajbari incident was not a communal attack but stemmed from a violent situation linked to alleged extortion and what it described as terrorist activities. It said legal action would be taken against everyone directly or indirectly involved in the killing.