Hindu Boy Attacked in Bangladesh Over Blasphemy Allegation

A violent mob in Bangladesh targeted a Hindu student, Supta Saha Anik, on Friday (February 28), accusing him of making objectionable remarks about Islam. The attack was led by radical groups Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh and Tawhidi Janata, who gathered after Jumma Namaz in Kalmakanda upazila, Netrakona district, demanding Anik’s immediate arrest within 48 hours.

Anik, a student of Rajshahi University and a member of the Chhatra League, reportedly engaged in an online confrontation before being accused of blasphemy. Videos circulating on social media show the mob intimidating his father at their residence.

This incident is part of a disturbing pattern of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. In January, a Hindu man, Pranta Talukder, was abducted and tortured in Chittagong over similar accusations. In December 2024, mobs set fire to 130 Hindu homes and 20 temples after blasphemy allegations surfaced against a young boy.

The growing religious intolerance is further fueled by the Bangladesh High Court’s recommendation to impose life imprisonment or the death penalty for blasphemy. Currently, the law allows a maximum two-year sentence, but rising communal violence suggests harsher penalties could escalate tensions further.