Last Updated on January 7, 2026 10:17 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
A 25-year-old Hindu man died in northern Bangladesh’s Naogaon district after jumping into a canal while trying to escape a mob that accused him of theft, police said on Wednesday, in the latest incident highlighting growing concerns over the safety of minorities amid continuing unrest in the country.
The deceased was identified as Mithun Sarkar, a resident of Bhandarpur village in Mohadevpur upazila. According to police, the incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon near Hat Chakgouri Bazar.
“He was chased by a mob accusing him of theft. He jumped into the water and after he jumped in, he died. The police were informed and we recovered his body with the help of the fire service,” Naogaon Police Superintendent Mohammad Tariqul Islam told journalists. “We are conducting a post-mortem and investigating the incident,” he added.
Police and fire service teams launched a rescue operation after locals reported that Sarkar had gone missing in the canal. His body was recovered nearly four hours later and sent to the district hospital for autopsy. Authorities said it is yet to be confirmed whether Sarkar was involved in any theft.
The Naogaon death comes amid a spate of violent incidents targeting Hindus across Bangladesh following the killing of student leader and Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi in December last year, which triggered widespread unrest.
On Monday night, a 40-year-old Hindu grocery shop owner, Moni (Sharat Chakraborty Mani), was killed in Narsingdi district. According to local media reports, unidentified assailants attacked him with a sharp, locally made weapon at Charsindhur Bazar in Palash upazila around 11 pm as he was returning home after closing his shop. He collapsed on the spot and later died of his injuries. Police said Mani was the son of Madan Thakur of Sadharchar Union in Shibpur upazila. He was the third Hindu businessman to be killed in recent weeks.
Just hours earlier on the same day, another Hindu businessman, Rana Pratap Bairagi, was shot dead in Jessore district. Bairagi, who owned an ice factory in Kapalia Bazar and was also the acting or executive editor of the daily newspaper BD Khabar, was reportedly called out of his factory by three men on a motorcycle and shot in the head at close range. He died on the spot. Police recovered seven empty cartridges from the scene, and the motive behind the murder remains unclear.
Earlier incidents include the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das on December 18, shortly after news of Hadi’s death surfaced. Das was beaten by a mob over allegations of blasphemy that later proved to be false; his body was reportedly tied to a tree and set on fire. On January 3, Khokon Chandra Das (50) died after being brutally attacked, hacked and set ablaze, while on December 24, Amrit Mondal was allegedly lynched in Rajbari’s Pangsha upazila over alleged extortion.
In another shocking case, a 44-year-old Hindu widow was gang-raped in Jhenaidah district on January 3. According to police, the woman was assaulted in Kaliganj, tied to a tree, beaten and had her hair cut. The incident was allegedly recorded on a mobile phone. One accused has been arrested, while efforts are underway to detain the remaining suspects.
Rights groups and members of the Hindu community say at least six Hindu men have been killed in the last 18 days, raising serious concerns about law and order and minority protection. Police say investigations are ongoing in all cases and have assured action against those responsible.