Violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh continues to rise, with disturbing incidents being reported from different parts of the country. In the latest case, an Islamist mob attacked a Hindu household on 22 December in Raozan, located in the Chattogram district of Bangladesh. The attackers set the family’s house on fire, completely destroying the property and spreading fear across the area.

According to local accounts, the fire was intense and left nothing behind. All household belongings, including furniture and daily-use items, were reduced to ashes. The blaze also killed the family’s pets, adding to the cruelty of the act. The house belonged to expatriates Jayanti Sangha and Babu Shukushil, who were not present at the time. Locals said the family members narrowly escaped death by cutting through a fence just in time, managing to save their lives. While the people survived, residents said there was nothing left inside the house once the fire died down.

After carrying out the arson, the attackers left behind a handwritten banner near the burnt house. The banner openly threatened the Hindu community living in the area and accused them of engaging in activities that were described as being against Islam. Written in Bengali, the message made it clear that Hindu residents were being watched closely and were expected to immediately stop what the attackers called anti-Islamic activities.

The banner warned Hindus to stop all movements, meetings, and gatherings that were allegedly against Islam and the Muslim community. It stated that failure to obey these instructions would lead to harsh punishment. The language used in the message was threatening and left no room for doubt about the intent behind it.

“This is to inform the Hindu residents of this area that you are being closely observed. You are accused of engaging in activities against Islam and the Muslim community. You are hereby warned to stop your movements, meetings, and activities immediately. If you fail to comply, you will face severe consequences,” the handwritten banner, written in Bengali, read.

The threat did not stop there. The banner further warned that if the Hindu community failed to follow the instructions, their homes, properties, and businesses would be destroyed. It also claimed that no one would come to their rescue if such action was taken. “No one will be able to protect you,” the message stated, underlining the sense of fear it aimed to create. The note ended with a final and chilling warning, “This is the final warning. Any resistance will result in serious action.”

“We Bangladeshis will not rest until Indian dogs are completely wiped out. This war began 200 years ago,” said Osman Hadi’s sister.

This statement reflects how extreme hatred, when expressed publicly by a close family member of a radical figure, can normalize dehumanizing language and push tensions further toward violence. While such words do not represent all Bangladeshis, they carry weight because of the context and the individual’s association.

Hatred like this leads nowhere. It distorts history and ignores shared sacrifice. During the 1971 Liberation War, India played a decisive role in the creation of Bangladesh by sheltering millions of refugees, providing military support, and losing soldiers in the process. These facts are part of recorded history and cannot be undone by inflammatory rhetoric.

When language reduces an entire people to targets, it shuts the door on dialogue and fuels cycles of hostility. Societies move forward not by reviving inherited anger, but by rejecting words that turn human beings into enemies rather than acknowledging complex, shared pasts.

This incident comes just days after another shocking act of violence against a Hindu individual in Bangladesh. A young Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched by a mob in the Mymensingh district over alleged blasphemy. Das was a garment factory worker who lived as a tenant in the Dubalia Para area of Bhaluka Upazila. Local residents accused him of making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad, following which he was attacked by a mob.

It later emerged that on the night of December 16, Das was forced to resign by his factory supervisors. He was pushed out of his workplace and then handed over to an Islamist mob. The mob beat him to death in a brutal attack. Reports further stated that his body was hung and set on fire, and that some of his colleagues were also involved in the killing. The incident sent shockwaves through the region and deepened concerns about mob violence and religious intolerance.

The situation in Bangladesh has remained tense in recent days following the death of radical leader Sharif Osman Hadi. He died at a hospital in Singapore after succumbing to injuries sustained during an assassination attempt in which he was shot in the head. Hadi was known for his strong anti-India views and his harsh criticism of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. His death has added to the unrest already brewing in the country.

Meanwhile, the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das drew strong reactions in India. Protests erupted outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, with demonstrators condemning the killing and demanding accountability. These developments have further strained relations between Dhaka and New Delhi, which have already been under pressure since protests earlier this year. Those protests eventually led to former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fleeing to India, marking a significant downturn in diplomatic ties between the two neighbouring countries.