Last Updated on January 14, 2026 12:18 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Amid growing concerns over violence targeting minority communities in Bangladesh, a Hindu auto-rickshaw driver was beaten, hacked and stabbed to death by miscreants in Feni district, marking the ninth such incident reported in the past 24 days.
The victim, Samir Kumar Das (also known as Samir Chandra Das or Sameer Das), aged between 27 and 28, was found dead early Monday in a crop field in Jagatpur village of Daganbhuiyan upazila, according to police and local media reports. Samir, a resident of Ramanandapur village, was the son of Kartik Kumar Das and Rina Rani Das and supported his family by driving a battery-operated CNG auto-rickshaw.
According to family members, Samir left home on Sunday evening with his auto-rickshaw but failed to return. After searching through the night, relatives alerted the authorities. Around 2 am on Monday, local residents discovered his blood-soaked and battered body lying in a secluded field near Dakshin Karimpur Muhuri Bari, close to the Daganbhuiyan Upazila Health Complex. Police said the body bore multiple stab and injury marks, suggesting a brutal assault. The victim’s auto-rickshaw was missing from the scene.
Confirming the incident, Daganbhuiyan Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Muhammad Faizul Azim Noman said, “The body has been recovered and sent to the Feni General Hospital morgue for autopsy. His autorickshaw has not been found. Police have launched a special operation to identify and arrest those involved in the murder and recover the vehicle.”
Another police officer said preliminary findings indicate the killing may have been premeditated. “Prima facie, it appears to be a planned murder. The perpetrators also looted the auto-rickshaw after killing the victim. The family will file an FIR, and police operations are underway to identify and arrest those responsible,” the officer said. The killing has heightened fears among Bangladesh’s Hindu community, which has reported a series of attacks since youth-led anti-government protests last year culminated in the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government. In recent weeks, several violent incidents have been reported across the country. Last week, a 25-year-old Hindu man died after jumping into a canal while trying to escape a mob that accused him of theft in northwestern Bangladesh. On January 5, a 40-year-old Hindu grocery shop owner was killed at Charsindhur Bazar in Palash upazila, while on the same day, a 38-year-old ice factory owner, who was also the acting editor of the Narail-based newspaper Dainik BD Khabar, was shot dead by unidentified assailants.
India expresses deep concern
India has expressed deep concern over the recurring attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. On January 9, New Delhi said it was closely monitoring the situation and hoped that acts of communal violence would be addressed decisively.
“We continue to witness a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities, as well as their homes and businesses, by extremist elements,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week. He added that India has observed a “troubling tendency to attribute such incidents to personal rivalries, political differences, or other extraneous factors,” rather than addressing what it sees as a broader pattern of communal violence. Rights groups and community leaders in Bangladesh have also called for stronger protection for minorities and swift justice for the victims, as police continue their investigation into Samir Das’s killing. AMN