Two killings in 24 hours raise alarm over attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh

Two Hindu men were killed in separate incidents in Bangladesh within 24 hours, reviving concerns over how safe religious minorities are in the country.

Both attacks took place in public spaces and are now under police investigation. The motives remain unclear.

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Grocery shop owner hacked to death in Narsingdi

The first incident occurred on Monday night in Narsingdi district.

The victim, 40-year-old Sarat Chakraborty Mani, ran a grocery shop at Charsindur Bazaar in Palash Upazila. According to local residents and eyewitnesses quoted by Bangladeshi weekly Blitz, unidentified attackers stormed his shop and assaulted him with sharp weapons.

Mani sustained critical injuries. He died while being taken to the hospital.

Local reports alleged the involvement of an extremist religious group, though authorities have not officially confirmed this.

The Narsingdi killing is the sixth reported death of a Hindu individual in Bangladesh in the past 18 days, according to local media reports.

It also came to light that Mani had earlier expressed fears over rising violence, writing in a Facebook post last month that his hometown had turned into a “valley of death”.

Hindu businessman shot dead in Jashore district

Hours later, another killing was reported from Monirampur Upazila in Jashore district.

The victim, 38-year-old Rana Pratap Bairagi, owned an ice factory in Kapalia Bazar. He was also the acting editor of the Bangladeshi newspaper Dainik BD Khobor, published from Narail.

According to Prothom Alo, three assailants arrived on a motorcycle around 5.45 pm on Monday. They called Bairagi out of his factory, dragged him into a nearby lane, and shot him in the head at close range before fleeing.

Monirampur police station officer-in-charge Md Raziullah Khan confirmed that the body was recovered and sent to Jashore Hospital for post-mortem. He said the attackers have not yet been identified, and legal proceedings are underway.

Also Read: Hindu journalist shot dead in Bangladesh as violence against minorities continues

Series of attacks raise alarm

The two killings come amid a series of violent incidents involving members of the Hindu community across Bangladesh.

On Saturday, Khokon Chandra Das died after being attacked by a mob in Damudya Upazila of Shariatpur district. Last week, Bajendra Biswas, aged 40, was shot dead by a colleague in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka Upazila.

In December, multiple cases of mob violence were reported. On December 24, a 29-year-old Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, was allegedly lynched in Kalimohar Union. Days earlier, Dipu Chandra Das, 25, was killed following false blasphemy allegations at a factory in Bhaluka. His body was later hung from a tree and set on fire.

Rights groups have flagged a growing pattern of violence against minorities in Bangladesh under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, triggering concern both domestically and internationally.