Hindu schoolteacher's house set ablaze in Bangladesh's Sylhet

DHAKA: The house of a Hindu schoolteacher was set ablaze by a mob in Bangladesh's Sylhet district, as violence against minorities continues ahead of the Feb 12 parliamentary elections in the country. Birendra Kumar Dey and his family members, residents of Bahor village, had a narrow escape. Nobody was injured in the incident on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

Since the lynching of garment factory worker Dipu Chandra Das on Dec 18, eight from the minority Hindu community have died in incidents of atrocities, while properties - including houses and land - attacked, grabbed or set on fire. Rights groups have reported at least 51 incidents of violence against Hindus.




Bahor villagers said members of the Dey family, including the elderly, were inside the house when it was set on fire. They escaped with the help of locals, villagers said, adding that Birendra was a popular teacher and people lovingly called him 'Jhunu Sir'.

Meanwhile in the UK parliament, lawmaker Bob Blackman Thursday raised concerns over escalating violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh. Calling the situation "disastrous", he said minorities are being murdered, their houses and temples set ablaze. He also said the polls in Bangladesh are being held amid grave democratic concerns.

UPDATE: The Chief Adviser's Press Wing in Bangladesh has said that investigation shows that no incident of deliberate arson took place at the house of the late teacher Birendra Kumar Deb in Sylhet. In reality, the incident was an accidental fire. It said that no evidence of an attack or communal violence has been found in connection with the incident.