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New Delhi: Another Hindu man has been killed in Bangladesh, the latest in a string of violent incidents targeting members of the minority community in recent weeks.
The victim, Samir Kumar Das, a 28-year-old battery-operated auto-rickshaw driver, was beaten to death in the Daganbhuiyan area of Feni district on Sunday night, according to local media reports. Police said the attackers assaulted and stabbed Das before fleeing with his auto-rickshaw. No arrests have been made so far.
A police officer in Daganbhuiyan said the killing appeared to be premeditated. "Sameer was murdered with country-made weapons and beaten to death. Prima facie, it appears to be a pre-planned murder. The perpetrators also looted an auto-rickshaw after the killing. The victim's family will file a First Information Report (FIR). The police have launched an operation to identify and arrest the culprits," a police officer in Daganbhuiyana said.
Two days earlier, another Hindu man, Joy Mahapatro, died under suspicious circumstances in Sunamganj district. His family alleged that he was brutally assaulted by a local individual and later poisoned.
According to reports by minority organisations, at least eight Hindus have been killed in Bangladesh over the past 25 days. On December 18, Dipu Chandra Das was beaten to death by a mob in the Bhaluka area of Mymensingh district. On December 24, Amrit Mondal was killed.
On January 5, Rana Pratap Bairagi, an ice factory owner and executive editor of the daily BD Khabar, was murdered in Jessore district, while shopkeeper Sharat Mani Chakraborty was killed the same day in Narsingdi district. The killings have spread fear among minority communities across the country.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council said at least 51 incidents of communal violence were recorded in December alone. These included 10 murders, 23 cases of arson and vandalism involving homes, businesses, temples and land, 10 incidents of robbery and theft, four cases of detention and torture linked to alleged false blasphemy charges, one attempted rape and three cases of physical assault.
Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of around 170 million people, has witnessed heightened tensions since the 2024 uprising, with minority groups expressing concern over the growing influence of Islamist elements.
India has since expressed concern over the situation. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi continued to witness a "disturbing pattern" of attacks on minorities, their homes and businesses in Bangladesh, and stressed that such incidents must be dealt with swiftly and firmly.
