New Delhi: Bangladesh witnessed two deadly incidents involving members of the Hindu community within a span of 24 hours, raising renewed concerns over minority safety in the country.
In the latest case, Sarat Mani Chakraborty, a 40-year-old grocery shop owner, was brutally attacked with sharp weapons in Narsingdi district late Monday night. The assault reportedly took place around 10 pm, and Chakraborty later succumbed to his injuries, according to local reports.
Earlier the same day, another killing was reported from Jashore district, where Rana Pratap, a 45-year-old factory owner and acting editor of a local newspaper, was shot dead. He was reportedly fired upon at close range, and his throat was also slit. Local sources claimed that multiple cases had previously been registered against him.
Pratap, the son of a schoolteacher from Keshabpur sub-district, had been operating an ice factory in Kopalia Bazar for the past two years. On Monday evening, he was allegedly called out of his factory by unidentified men, taken to a nearby alley, and shot. Investigators recovered seven bullet casings from the scene.
A resident of the area said the attackers arrived on a motorcycle, engaged in a heated argument with Pratap, opened fire, and then fled.
A police officer confirmed that Pratap had been shot three times in the head.
“We are investigating who was involved,” the officer said.
Pattern of Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh
Monday’s incidents add to a growing list of violent crimes targeting minorities in Bangladesh, particularly Hindus, who make up around 7 per cent of the country’s population.
Just days earlier, a Hindu woman in Jhenaidah district was allegedly raped by two men who also demanded money from her. When she resisted, the attackers reportedly tied her to a tree, cut her hair, filmed the assault, and circulated the video online. She lost consciousness and was later admitted to a hospital with the help of local residents.
In another disturbing case, Khokon Chandra Das, 50, was set on fire while returning home after closing his shop in a village nearly 150 km from Dhaka. Das, who ran a medicine and mobile banking outlet, managed to jump into a pond to extinguish the flames but later died in hospital on January 3.
On December 29, Bajendra Biswas, a 40-year-old Hindu man, was shot dead in Mymensingh while on duty at a garment factory. Biswas was a member of Ansar Bahini, a paramilitary auxiliary force under Bangladesh’s Ministry of Home Affairs. Police said he was killed by a colleague identified as Noman Mia.
Earlier, on December 18, Dipu Chandra Das, 29, was lynched by a mob in Mymensingh over alleged blasphemy, after which his body was set on fire. Another lynching was reported on December 24 in Rajbari, where Amrit Mondal, also 29, was killed over alleged extortion.
India Raises Alarm Over Minority Safety
India has reacted strongly to the continuing reports of violence against minorities in Bangladesh, expressing deep concern over the situation under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus.
“The unremitting hostility against minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists at the hands of extremists, is a matter of grave concern,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last month.
He further stated that independent sources have documented over 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities during the tenure of the interim government, including killings, arson attacks, and illegal land seizures.
“These incidents cannot be brushed aside as mere media exaggerations or dismissed as political violence,” he added.
