Mob Sets Hindu Musician Rahul Ananda's House On Fire In Dhaka

The house of Hindu musician Rahul Ananda was looted and set on fire by an angry mob following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government in Bangladesh. The mob attacked the musician's residence, located in Dhaka's Dhanmondi 32, on Monday afternoon.

According to reports, Mr Ananda, his wife, and their son managed to escape the attack unharmed but the attackers looted whatever they could find in the artist's house.

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

Speaking with The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi English-language daily newspaper, a close family source of Mr Ananda said that the attackers first broke the gate and then began ravaging 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 family source told the newspaper.

Musician, lyricist, and singer Rahul Ananda runs a popular folk band in Dhaka called Joler Gaan.

Attacks on minorities, including Hindus, in Bangladesh have intensified a day after the prime minister was ousted following mass protests over a controversial job quota in government services.

According to news agency AFP, several houses, businesses, and religious sites have been torched and vandalised in the last two days by violent protesters.

Amid the violence against minorities in Bangladesh, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday that New Delhi was "monitoring the situation with regard to the status of minorities."