Bangladesh, anti-Hindu pogrom to avenge death of a young Muslim
by Sumon Corraya
About a thousand Muslim residents in Barisla Sadar attacked and burned down the Hindu side of the village of Charaicha : the number of those killed and injured still unknown. According to the police riots were sparked by the death of the young Parvez , a Muslim , who was killed in a fight with his Hindu peers.

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - A mob of about a thousand Muslims from Barisal Sadar attacked the Hindu village of Charaicha overnight, burning more than 16 homes and brutally beating anyone who tried to stop them. The raid was sparked by the death of a Muslim boy, Parvez Gazi, two days ago in unclear circumstances during a game of badminton.

According to police investigations, four young Muslim men were playing in a badminton court in the village of Charaicha on November 14th. The four were Parvez , his younger brother Pavel and two friends named Shamim and Jahirul . According to the victim's parents, the group got into a fight with some peers Hindu identified as Dhiman , Pijush and some others. After a brief exchange of insults a fight started that ended with the death of Parvez , who was stabbed.

The other three were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where they recounted the incident. Their account led to the decision in favour of a punitive raid , which culminated with the burning of the houses later extinguished by firefighters.  The number of victims and injured is still unknown.

The Hindu community is 8 , 2 % of the population of Bangladesh, which for the most part is made up of Muslims. In absolute terms of population, however, the country is the third nation in the world for the number of Hindu faithful after India and Nepal. Along with Buddhists and Christians, Hindus are often the victim of attacks and discrimination.