Hindu boy hacked to death in Bangladesh over blasphemous post, Muhammad Yunus says, attacks are ‘exaggerated’

A 15-year-old Hindu boy named Utsav Mandol, who was accused of making “objectionable comments” about Prophet Muhammad on social media, was reportedly beaten and killed by a mob inside a police station in Bangladesh.

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In a post on X, the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities wrote, “A college student, Utsav Mandol (a Hindu Youth), was hacked to death at #Khulna City of #Bangladesh by #Islamists. Allegations against him were he posted statements that are considered #blasphemy on social media. Without forensic evidence, he was detained by police, and the mob lunched him in the police station where Army personnel was also present.”

Mint could not independently confirm the development.

It further added, “This act of mob lynching violates the norm of being human. Those who perpetrated this crime have gone unpunished. The law enforcement agencies of Bangladesh can also be considered perpetrators in this case given that brutal crime happens on their watch. Now, some shameless Bangladeshi media are also spreading disgusting statements that this crime did not occur. I am sure Islamists and their coconspirators in law enforcement agencies will either force disappear the family or spread lies and deceits about this lynching of Bangladeshi style.”

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‘Attacks on Hindus is exaggerated,’ says Yunus

Chief Adviser to Bangladesh's interim government, Muhammad Yunus, has claimed that the issue of attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh is “exaggerated,” suggesting that these incidents are “more political than communal.”

In an interview with PTI, Yunus criticized India’s portrayal of the situation, asserting that Bangladesh would not become another Afghanistan if Sheikh Hasina were to leave power. He also questioned the way India is presenting the attacks.

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“I have said this to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi also that this is exaggerated. This issue has several dimensions. When the country went through an upheaval following the atrocities by (Sheikh) Hasina and the Awami League, those who were with them also faced attacks,” the Nobel laureate told PTI.

During the student-led violence that erupted following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the minority Hindu population in Bangladesh experienced vandalism of their businesses and properties, along with the destruction of Hindu temples. This unrest reached its peak on August 5, leading to Hasina's resignation and subsequent flight to India.

Hindus, who constituted 22 percent of Bangladesh's population during the 1971 Liberation War, now make up about 8 percent of the 170 million people in the country. Historically, they have predominantly supported the Awami League, known for its secular stance.

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Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has described the recent attacks on Hindus as more political than communal, questioning India's portrayal of these incidents. Yunus criticized India's “propagation” of the attacks and emphasized that Bangladesh is actively addressing the situation, stating, “We have not said that we can’t do anything; we have said that we are doing everything.”