Last Updated on January 25, 2026 3:40 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
WEB DESK
In Bangladesh, a 23-year-old Hindu mechanic, Chanchal Chandra Bhowmik, was burned to death after miscreants allegedly set fire to the car repair workshop where he was sleeping late on January 23 in Narsingdi town, triggering renewed criticism of Bangladesh’s law-and-order situation under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.
Police and eyewitnesses said the fire was deliberately lit from outside the shutter of the garage at Khana Bari Mosque Market near the Police Lines. With petrol and engine oil stored inside, the blaze spread rapidly, trapping Chanchal. CCTV footage reportedly shows individuals setting the fire before fleeing.
Chanchal, the sole breadwinner of his family from Barura upazila in Cumilla district, died on the spot from severe burns. Locals and colleagues have rejected claims of an accidental fire, calling it a premeditated killing and demanding swift arrests and justice.
The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on Hindu individuals in recent weeks, including reported cases in Shariatpur and Mymensingh, heightening fear among minority communities. Human rights groups say these incidents point to a broader pattern of violence against minorities, drawing criticism of the interim government’s handling of security.
Since the political transition in August 2024, rights groups and foreign observers have warned of rising political and communal violence. While the interim government maintains most incidents are criminal rather than communal, critics argue such assertions downplay minority concerns.
Police say CCTV footage has been collected and multiple teams are investigating, but no arrests have been reported so far. The killing has cast a shadow of grief over Narsingdi and intensified scrutiny of the country’s deteriorating law-and-order situation.