The lynching of a Hindu worker in Bangladesh raised concerns about the safety of the country’s religious minorities, and heightened tensions with neighboring India.
Thursday’s killing, over accusations of blasphemy, is the latest violent flare-up to roil Bangladesh following the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, a student leader and critic of India who was central to last year’s uprising that toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Hadi’s death this month triggered widespread anti-India demonstrations, which targeted Bangladesh’s two biggest newspapers perceived as sympathetic to India, where Hasina is taking refuge. A Bangladeshi journalist warned that anti-India sentiment will be further fomented in the lead-up to Bangladesh’s national elections in February.