Last Updated on January 6, 2026 10:20 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh has witnessed a fresh spike in violence against its minority Hindu community, with two Hindu men murdered within 24 hours, taking the death toll to six in just 18 days, amid growing concerns over law and order and minority safety under the interim government.
The latest victims are Sarat Chakraborty Mani (40), a Hindu grocery shop owner killed in Narsingdi, and Rana Pratap Bairagi (38), a Hindu journalist and businessman who was shot dead and had his throat slit in Jashore on Monday.
Mani was attacked with sharp weapons on Monday night while running his grocery shop at Charsindur Bazaar in Palash upazila of Narsingdi district. According to eyewitnesses cited by Bangladesh news channel Blitz, unidentified assailants suddenly attacked him, leaving him critically injured. He died on the way to hospital as locals rushed him for treatment.
Mani was the son of Madan Thakur, a resident of Sadharchar Union in Shibpur upazila. He is survived by his wife Antara Mukherjee, a homemaker, and their 12-year-old son Abhik Chakraborty. Mani had earlier worked in South Korea and returned to Bangladesh a few years ago, later building a house in Brahmandi area of Narsingdi town, where he lived with his family.
A family member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mani led a simple life and had no known disputes. “He was deeply disturbed by the situation in the country,” the relative said. On December 19, Mani had written on Facebook: “So much fire everywhere, so much violence. My birthplace has turned into a valley of death.”
A neighbour described Mani as “calm, humane and socially responsible,” adding that he had no enemies. “The only possible reason for his killing is that he was Hindu,” the neighbour said.
On the same day, Rana Pratap Bairagi, a Hindu businessman and acting editor of the newspaper Dainik BD Khabar, was brutally murdered in Monirampur area of Jashore district. Police said the incident occurred around 5:45–6 pm when three men on a motorcycle lured him out of his ice factory at Kopaliya Bazar into a nearby alley.
“He was shot three times in the head and his throat was slit. He died instantly,” Monirampur Police Station officer-in-charge Md Raziullah Khan told the press. Police recovered seven bullet casings from the spot and sent the body for autopsy.
Witness Ripon Hossain said the attackers called Bairagi out of his factory, shot him multiple times at close range and fled immediately.
Bairagi, a resident of Arua village in Keshabpur upazila, was the owner of an ice-making factory and had been serving as acting editor of Dainik BD Khabar, published from Narail. Police said the motive remains unclear, though they suggested the killing may be linked to an internal feud within the banned Purbo Banglar Communist Party, of which Bairagi was reportedly an active member. Authorities added that four cases had previously been filed against him.
The two murders come amid a disturbing wave of attacks on Hindus across Bangladesh. In recent weeks, Khokon Chandra Das (50), a Hindu pharmacy owner and bKash mobile banking agent, died after being attacked with sharp weapons and set on fire by a mob in Shariatpur. Das had tried to save himself by jumping into a pond but later succumbed to his injuries.
Earlier, Amrit Mondal was allegedly lynched by a mob on December 24 in Kalimohar Union, while Dipu Chandra Das (25) was lynched on December 18 after being falsely accused of blasphemy; his body was later hung from a tree and set on fire in Mymensingh. Last week, Bajendra Biswas, a Hindu garment factory worker, was shot dead while on duty at a factory in the same district.
Alongside the killings, sexual violence against Hindu women has further intensified fears within the minority community. In Kaliganj upazila of Jhenaidah district, a 40-year-old Hindu widow was allegedly gang-raped by two men, tied to a tree, tortured and had her hair forcibly cut.
According to her police complaint, the woman had purchased land and a two-storey house for 2 million taka two-and-a-half years ago from a man named Shahin and his brother. She alleged that Shahin had been harassing her with indecent proposals after the sale. On Saturday evening, Shahin and his associate Hasan allegedly stormed into her house, raped her and demanded 50,000 taka. When she refused, they assaulted her relatives, tied her to a tree, cut off her hair, recorded the act and circulated the video on social media.
Local residents rescued the woman unconscious and admitted her to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital. Hospital superintendent Dr Md Mostafizur Rahman said: “She did not initially tell doctors what had happened. Later, through medical examination, we came to know that she had been subjected to torture.”
Jhenaidah additional superintendent of police Bilal Hossain said: “We have called the victim to the police station and registered her complaint. After completing the investigation, the police will take strict legal action against those responsible.” Police said both accused have been arrested.
Political observers say the killings, mob lynchings and sexual assaults reflect a deepening crisis for minority communities amid Bangladesh’s shifting political landscape following last year’s upheaval. India has repeatedly expressed concern over what it described as the “unremitting hostility” faced by minorities in Bangladesh and said it is closely monitoring the situation.
According to the 2022 census, Bangladesh’s Hindu population stands at around 13.13 million, or 7.95% of the total population. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has condemned several of the incidents and said it remains committed to protecting minorities, even as violence continues to draw international attention.