Hindu Man Killed In Bangladesh, 2nd Such Incident In 24 Hours

A 40-year-old Hindu man has been killed in Bangladesh, in what is a second such incident in the last 24 hours in the country. Sarat Mani Chakraborty, a grocery store owner, was reportedly attacked with sharp weapons in the Narsingdi district at around 10 pm on Monday. He later died of his injuries.

Hours before he was killed, a 45-year-old factory owner was shot dead in the Jashore district. Rana Pratap, who was also the acting editor of a newspaper, was shot in the head by a group of men, who also slit his throat. Local sources alleged that he had multiple cases filed against him.

Pratap, the son of a schoolteacher from 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. Seven bullet casings were found beside Pratap's body.

A local resident said that the attackers arrived on a motorcycle and had an argument with Pratap, fired several rounds at his head and fled.

A police officer said Pratap was shot three times in the head.

"We are investigating who was involved," he said.

Attack On Hindus In Bangladesh

Monday's killings mark the latest in a series of violent incidents against minorities in Bangladesh, especially Hindus, who constitute about 7 per cent of the total population.

On Saturday, a Hindu woman in 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, Khokon Chandra Das, 50, was brutally attacked and set on fire. He ran a medicine and mobile banking business in his village, 150 km from the national capital, Dhaka.

The attack happened on his way home after closing his shop last Wednesday. He managed to jump into a pond, which helped put out the flames that nearly engulfed his head and face. The attackers fled after that. He died in the hospital on January 3.

Bajendra Biswas, another Hindu man, was shot dead in Mymensingh on December 29. Forty-year-old Biswas was killed while on duty at a garment factory by a colleague in Bhaluka.

He was a member of Ansar Bahini, a paramilitary auxiliary force under Bangladesh's Ministry of Home Affairs, responsible for internal security and law enforcement in the country. He was killed by his colleague, Noman Mia.

On December 24, a 29-year-old Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, was lynched over alleged extortion in Rajbari.

On December 18, Dipu Chandra Das, 29, was lynched by a mob, and his body was set on fire over alleged blasphemy in Mymensingh.

The lynching of Das, who worked in a factory, drew the world's attention to the killing of Hindus in Bangladesh administered by US-returned Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

India On Attack On Hindus In Bangladesh

India has expressed "grave concern" about what it has termed the "unremitting hostility" against minorities under the Yunus government in Bangladesh.

"The unremitting hostility against minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists at the hands of extremists, is a matter of grave concern," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters late last month.

He said that over 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities, including cases of killings, arson, and land grabs, have been documented by independent sources during the tenure of the interim government.

"These incidents cannot be brushed aside as mere media exaggerations or dismissed as political violence," he said.