Bangladesh violence: Mob sets musician Rahul Ananda’s house on fire in Dhaka in an attack on minorities, says report

Bangladesh violence: An angry mob set fire to and looted the house of musician Rahul Ananda in Dhaka's Dhanmondi 32 on August 5, as per an NDTV report.

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This attack comes amid increasing targeting of minorities and Hindus in the neighbouring country after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government, it added.

Ananda, his wife and son, escaped unharmed, but valuable items were stolen and destroyed, including the artists' extensive collection of more than 3,000 handmade musical instruments, it said.

The mob looted valuable items and destroyed the home, including Ananda's vast collection of over 3,000 handmade musical instruments.

According to the report, a close family source of Ananda told The Daily Star that the attackers initially broke through the gate and then began ransacking the house. “They took everything from furniture and mirrors to valuables. After that, they torched the whole house along with Rahul da's musical instruments,” the source said.

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Musician, lyricist, and singer Rahul Ananda leads the popular folk band Joler Gaan in Dhaka.

Attacks on minorities, including Hindus, have surged in Bangladesh following the prime minister's ouster amid widespread protests over a contentious job quota system in government services.

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) reported incidents of Hindu temples being ransacked and, in some cases, burned across Bangladesh.

While the full extent to which religious minorities are being targeted in this greater unrest is not yet fully clear, the picture is deeply concerning, the HAF said in a statement.

"These attacks are heartbreaking, but unsurprising. It is well documented that prior to the toppling of Sheikh Hasina's government, Bangladesh's Hindu population has been targeted and harassed in sections of the country for many years now," HAF director of Policy Research Anita Joshi said.

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"The Bangladesh military is reportedly forming an interim government, and so we urge local law enforcement and military leadership to ensure the safety of all Bangladesh’s religious minorities, protecting their homes, business, and places of worship in this moment of turmoil," Joshi said.

"The HAF has also called on the US State Department to work with Bangladesh's military leaders and interim government to immediately protect religious minorities from violence as the country seeks to restore order," Joshi said.

(With inputs from agencies)