Rana Pratap, Sarat Mani: The 2 Hindu Men Killed Within Hours In Bangladesh

Rana Pratap Bairagi and Sarat Mani Chakraborty, two Hindu men, were killed by unidentified assailants within hours of each other in Bangladesh amid a deteriorating law and order situation, which has created widespread fear ahead of the upcoming elections. In both cases, unidentified assailants came to both men's places of work and attacked them fatally.

It was not immediately clear if there was a communal angle to the killings, but it followed a series of violent incidents against minorities in the Muslim-majority country, especially the Hindu community members.

About Rana Pratap Bairagi

According to Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, Bairagi, 38, was a resident of Arua village in Keshabpur upazila of Jessore in Khulna Division. Son of Tushar Kanti Bairagi, Rana Pratap Bairagi owned an ice manufacturing factory in Kapalia Bazar, Monirampur, and also served as the acting editor of the newspaper 'Dainik BD Khobor' published from Narail.

Reports claim that Bairagi had multiple criminal cases against him. One case was reportedly registered against him at Abhaynagar police station and three cases at Keshabpur police station, police said. Further details of these cases were not available at the time.

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Bairagi's Killing

The incident occurred around 5:45 pm at Kopaliya Bazaar on Monday, when unidentified assailants lured him out of his factory and shot him dead in public.

Citing locals and the police, Prothom Alo said that three men on a motorcycle called him from the ice factory and took him to the alley in front of Kapalia Clinic and Diagnostic Centre on the west side of Kopaliya Bazar.

The unidentified men then shot him in the head from close range and fled. He died on the spot.

"We have received information that one Rana Pratap Bairagi was shot dead at the Keshabpur area of Jessore," Bangladesh Puja Celebration Committee President Bashudeb Dhar said.

"Bairagi was shot three times in the head, and his throat was slit," Monirampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Rajiullah Khan was quoted as saying by the daily.

Khan also said that the reason for his murder is not known. An investigation was launched into the incident.

Police said Bairagi "appeared to be a victim of an internal feud" of the banned Purbo Banglar Communist Party, describing him as an "active member" of the group.

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Killing Of Sarat Mani Chakraborty

At least six Hindu men have been killed in Bangladesh in the past month. On Monday, a 40-year-old Hindu grocery shop owner was also allegedly killed in Bangladesh. Sarat Mani Chakraborty was reportedly attacked with sharp weapons in Narsingdi district around 10 pm on Monday. 

The Federal reported that Chakraborty was at his grocery shop in the Charsindur Bazaar in the Palash Upazila area of Narsingdi when unidentified assailants suddenly attacked him with sharp weapons and critically injured him. 

Local residents rushed him to a hospital, but Chakraborty succumbed to his injuries on the way. He is survived by his wife, Antara Mukherjee, and his 12-year-old son, Abhik Chakraborty. 

As per local media reports, Chakraborty was previously employed in South Korea before returning to Bangladesh a few years ago. 

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Rising Violence Against Hindus In Bangladesh

The shooting marks the latest in a spate of violent incidents against the Hindu community members. On January 3, Khokon Chandra Das (50) died after he was brutally attacked, hacked and set on fire.

On December 24, a Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, was lynched over alleged extortion in Rajbari town's Pangsha upazila. Before that, on December 18, Dipu Chandra Das (25) was lynched by a mob, and his body was set on fire over alleged blasphemy in Mymensingh city.

Unidentified men also set the house of Qatari expatriate workers Shukh Shil and Anil Shil on fire in the Raojan area on the outskirts of Chattogram on December 23, but the residents managed to escape unharmed.

There has been a spate of violence targeting the minority community in the country in the last few weeks, and mob violence or clandestine attacks have emerged as a major crisis in Bangladesh's changed political landscape, according to political observers.

India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh. As of the 2022 census, approximately 13.13 million Hindus reside in Bangladesh, constituting about 7.95 per cent of the total population.