Hindu Journalist Shot In The Head By Men On Bike In Bangladesh

In yet another incident of a Hindu man being killed in Bangladesh, a 45-year-old factory owner, who was also the acting editor of a newspaper, has been shot in the head by a group of men, who also slit his throat.

Local sources alleged Rana Pratap had multiple cases filed against him.

Pratap's killing comes close on the heels of the rape of a Hindu widow and the murders of at least three Hindu men in the country since December, prompting condemnation of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government's handling of violence against minorities.

Officials said Pratap was killed in the Kopalia Bazar area of Manirampur sub-district in Jashore in southwestern Bangladesh around 6 pm on Monday. 

Akhtar Faruk Mintu, chairman of the Manoharpur Union Parishad, said Pratap, the son of a schoolteacher from Arua village in the neighbouring Keshabpur sub-district, had been running an ice factory in Kopalia Bazar for two years. On Monday evening, some men called him out of the ice factory, led him to an alley, and shot him.

A local resident, Ripon Hossain, said that the attackers arrived on a motorcycle. He recalled that the attackers had an argument with Pratap, fired several rounds at his head and fled. Seven bullet casings were found beside Pratap's body. 

Monirampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Raziullah Khan said Pratap's throat was also slit. 

"Pratap was shot three times in the head and his throat was slit. After receiving the news, we went to the scene. The body has been recovered and sent to the morgue for an autopsy. We are investigating who was involved," he said.

A local source said that Pratap had several cases against him at various police stations in Jashore and was also involved with an extremist group. He also served as the acting editor of a daily, BD Khobor, published from Narail district.

The newspaper's news editor, Abul Kashem, said, "Rana Pratap was our acting editor. Although there were cases against him at one time, he was acquitted in all of them. I cannot say what led to this murder."

Jahangir Alam, general secretary of the BNP's Sufalakati Union unit in Keshabpur sub-district and a resident of Arua village, alleged that Rana Pratap was a member of an extremist group. 

"He had an ice factory in Kopalia and was killed in that area. He was involved in various disputes. He moved freely in the Kopalia area and did not live in his own village," Alam said. 

String Of Incidents

On Saturday, a Hindu woman in Bangladesh's Jhenaidah district was raped by two men, who also demanded money from her. When she screamed, they tied her to a tree, cut off her hair, recorded the act, and circulated videos on social media. The woman fell unconscious and was taken to a hospital by local residents.

Days before that, on December 31, Khokon Chandra Das was attacked by a mob, which also set him ablaze. Das escaped by jumping into a pond, but died of his injuries on Saturday. 

This was preceded by the deaths of Amrit Mondal and Dipu Chandra Das, who was lynched and his body was hung on a tree before being set ablaze. The spike in violence against minorities, including those of other religions, has drawn international condemnation.

India has raised concern about what it has termed the "unremitting hostility" against minorities under the Yunus government in Bangladesh, and asserted it is keeping a close watch on the developments in its neighbourhood.

The Bangladesh government has said it is committed to protecting minorities.