Bangladesh has reported two killings within 24 hours amid a renewed surge of violence targeting the minority Hindu community, raising fresh concerns over law and order and minority safety.
The latest incidents bring the number of Hindu deaths to six in the past 18 days. The victims have been identified as Sarat Chakraborty Mani (40), a grocery shop owner killed in Narsingdi on Monday night, and Hindu journalist Rana Pratap Bairagi, who was shot and had his throat slit in Manirampur, Jashore, on the same day.
Mani was attacked with sharp weapons at Charsindur Bazaar in Palash upazila while running his shop. According to eyewitness accounts cited by local news channel Blitz, unidentified assailants suddenly attacked him, leaving him critically injured. He died on the way to hospital.
Mani, the son of Madan Thakur of Sadharchar Union in Shibpur upazila, is survived by his wife Antara Mukherjee and their 12-year-old son, Abhik Chakraborty. He had previously worked in South Korea before returning to Bangladesh a few years ago, later building a home in Brahmandi, Narsingdi town.
A family member said Mani lived a simple, peaceful life and had no disputes with anyone, though he was distressed by the deteriorating situation in the country. On December 19, he wrote on Facebook: “So much fire everywhere, so much violence. My birthplace has turned into a valley of death,” according to Blitz. Neighbours described him as calm and socially responsible, adding that he had no known enemies and that his religious identity may have been the only motive behind the attack.
Hindu journalist killed in Jashore
Mani’s murder occurred the same day as the killing of Hindu journalist Rana Pratap Bairagi (45), also known as Rana Pratap, in Manirampur, Jashore. A factory owner and acting editor of BD Khobor, Bairagi was shot multiple times in the head and had his throat slit in the Kopalia Bazar area.
Monirampur police station officer-in-charge Md Raziullah Khan said the attack took place around 6 pm. “Rana was shot three times in the head, and his throat was slit. The body has been recovered and sent for autopsy. We are investigating the perpetrators,” he said. Police recovered seven bullet casings from the scene.
Witness Ripon Hossain said the attackers arrived on a motorcycle, called Rana out of his ice factory, shot him repeatedly and fled. Rana, the son of a schoolteacher from Arua village in Keshabpur upazila, had been operating the ice factory for two years.
Pattern of attacks on Hindus
Rana’s killing follows a string of brutal attacks on Hindus across Bangladesh. In Mymensingh district, Dipu Chandra Das, a garment factory worker, was lynched by a mob last month; his body was later hung from a tree and set on fire. Another killing was reported last week when Khokon Das (50), a Hindu pharmacy owner and bKash agent, was attacked by three to four assailants while returning home from Keherbhanga Bazaar and later succumbed to his injuries. In a separate incident, Bajendra Biswas, a Hindu garment factory worker, was shot dead while on duty at a factory in Mymensingh.
Sexual violence heightens minority fears
Alongside the killings, reports of sexual violence against Hindu women have intensified fears. In Jhenaidah district, a 40-year-old Hindu widow was allegedly tortured, raped, tied to a tree and had her hair cut by two local men. She was rescued unconscious and admitted to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital.
Hospital superintendent Dr Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman said medical examinations confirmed that the woman had been subjected to torture. Jhenaidah additional superintendent of police Bilal Hossain said the victim’s complaint had been registered and that strict legal action would follow. The two accused have since been arrested.
The spate of killings and assaults has drawn international attention. India has expressed concern over what it described as “unremitting hostility” towards minorities in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, saying it is closely monitoring developments.
