A fresh incident of violence targeting Bangladesh’s Hindu community has been reported from Dumritala village in Pirojpur district, where at least five houses belonging to one family were destroyed in a fire on December 28. Authorities are still investigating the exact cause, but local accounts suggest the blaze may have been deliberately set.

The incident comes days after the lynching of a Hindu garment worker in Mymensingh over alleged blasphemy, an episode that triggered nationwide outrage. In the Pirojpur case, family members said they woke up to flames in the early hours and found themselves trapped, as the doors had allegedly been locked from outside.

Eight members of two related households managed to escape by breaking through tin roofing and bamboo fencing. While no human casualties were reported, their homes, belongings and pets were completely destroyed in the fire.

Speaking to media outlets anonymously from Dhaka, the affected family said they remain terrified and are awaiting the outcome of the police investigation. The village is located roughly 240 kilometres from the capital.

Pirojpur Superintendent of Police Mohammad Manzur Ahmed Siddiqui visited the site and assured swift action. Police have so far detained five suspects, with searches underway to trace others allegedly involved.

Videos circulating online showed villagers attempting to control the blaze as multiple structures were engulfed in flames.

Rights organisations have flagged a worrying pattern of attacks linked to blasphemy accusations. According to the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM), at least 71 such incidents were reported across more than 30 districts between June and December this year. The group warned that these cases indicate a broader vulnerability of religious minorities rather than isolated events.

The incident also unfolds against a backdrop of political uncertainty and rising religious polarisation in Bangladesh, where sporadic violence against minorities has raised alarm ahead of upcoming elections. Earlier this month, two Hindu men were killed in separate mob attacks, though authorities have disputed communal motives in one of the cases.

Investigations into the Pirojpur fire are ongoing.