Hindu Garage Worker Burnt Alive By Unknown Men While Sleeping In Bangladesh

Yet another horrific incident has come to light amid violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, where elections are due in less than a few weeks. A 23-year-old Hindu man was burned alive while sleeping in Narsingdi, a city merely 50 km away from Dhaka, as concerns remain over the safety of the minority population in the Muslim-majority nation.

The victim has been identified as Chanchal Chandra Bhowmik, son of Khokan Chandra Bhowmik, a resident of Lakshmipur village in Cumilla district. He worked at a garage in the Khanabari Mosque Market area in Narsingdi Police Lines.

On Friday night, after finishing work, a tired Bhowmik fell asleep inside the garage. Unidentified people set the garage on fire when he was sleeping. With a large quantity of petrol, engine oil, and other inflammable materials present inside, the fire quickly spread across the garage.

Bhowmik, who was sleeping, died of suffocation and burn injuries in what has been described by locals and eyewitnesses as a planned murder. 

The attackers were spotted setting fire to the garage in CCTV cameras nearby but are yet to be identified.

"The police are conducting a thorough investigation, considering the seriousness of the case. We have recovered the body and seized the CCTV footage. Several police teams are working to identify and arrest the culprits," said an official.

About 13.13 million Hindus live in Bangladesh, according to the 2022 census, accounting for about 7.95 per cent of the population.

India had earlier raised concerns over the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh, with dozens of cases of violence against Hindus being reported since the ouster of former premier Sheikh Hasina, amid fears of rising extremism in the neighbouring country.

A week earlier, a Hindu sweetshop owner was beaten to death in the Gazipur district while trying to protect an employee from an assault. The same week, a Hindu home was set ablaze in Sylhet district, while a Hindu autorickshaw driver was stabbed to death in Feni district.