Six Hindus Murdered in Bangladesh Amid Escalating Minority Violence
In a troubling escalation of attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu minority, two men were killed within a single day, raising the number of such fatalities to six over the past 18 days. The incidents have heightened alarms about deteriorating security and the protection of religious minorities in the country.
The victims were Sarat Chakraborty Mani, a 40-year-old grocery store owner in Narsingdi, and Rana Pratap Bairagi, a Hindu journalist and factory owner in Jashore’s Manirampur area. Mani was assaulted with sharp weapons by unknown attackers while tending his shop at Charsindur Bazaar in Palash Upazila on Monday evening. According to Bangladesh news channel Blitz, which cited eyewitnesses, the sudden assault left him severely wounded; he succumbed to his injuries en route to the hospital.
Mani, son of Madan Thakur from Sadharchar Union in Shibpur Upazila, had previously worked in South Korea before returning home several years ago. He leaves behind his wife, Antara Mukherjee, and their 12-year-old son, Abhik Chakraborty. A relative, speaking anonymously, described Mani as leading a quiet life with no known conflicts, though he expressed distress over the nation’s worsening conditions. In a December 19 Facebook post quoted by Blitz, Mani wrote of the pervasive violence turning his homeland into a “valley of death.” A neighbor portrayed him as a peaceful and community-oriented individual with no adversaries, suggesting his Hindu identity as the likely motive for the attack.
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On the same day, 45-year-old Rana Pratap Bairagi, acting editor of BD Khobor and owner of an ice factory, was fatally attacked in Kopalia Bazar. Assailants on a motorcycle summoned him outside his workplace, shot him three times in the head, and slit his throat before escaping. Monirampur Police officer-in-charge Md Raziullah Khan confirmed the details, noting seven bullet casings recovered at the scene. The body was sent for autopsy as investigations continue.
These killings follow a pattern of recent assaults on Hindus, including the mob lynching of garment worker Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh last month—whose body was hanged from a tree and burned—and the fatal attack on pharmacy owner Khokon Das (50) in Keherbhanga Bazaar last week. Another victim, Bajendra Biswas, a Hindu factory worker, was shot dead on duty in Mymensingh.
Compounding the violence, reports of sexual assaults on Hindu women have emerged. In Jhenaidah, a 40-year-old Hindu widow was allegedly raped, tortured, tied to a tree, and had her hair shaved by two men, who were later arrested. Hospital superintendent Dr Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman verified the torture through examination, while additional superintendent of police Bilal Hossain confirmed a complaint was filed for further action.
The wave of incidents has prompted international scrutiny, with India voicing concerns over persistent hostility toward minorities under the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, stating it is monitoring developments closely.