Dhaka/Jashore, January 6: Violence against Bangladesh’s minority Hindu community has intensified, with two Hindu men killed within 24 hours in separate incidents, raising fresh concerns over law and order and minority safety. With these latest cases, the number of Hindu deaths linked to recent unrest has risen to six in just 18 days.
One of the victims, Sarat Chakraborty Mani (40), a grocery shop owner, was attacked on Monday night at Charsindur Bazaar in Palash Upazila of Narsingdi district. According to eyewitness accounts, unidentified assailants suddenly assaulted him with sharp weapons while he was running his shop. He was critically injured and died while being taken to hospital.
Mani was the son of Madan Thakur, a resident of Sadharchar Union in Shibpur Upazila. He is survived by his wife Antara Mukherjee and their 12-year-old son, Abhik Chakraborty. Family members said Mani had earlier worked in South Korea and had returned to Bangladesh a few years ago to settle down and run his business.
In another incident the same day, Hindu journalist and businessman Rana Pratap Bairagi was killed in Manirampur area of Jashore district. He was reportedly shot, and his throat was later slit by unidentified attackers. Bairagi was known locally both as a business owner and for his work in journalism.
The back-to-back killings have sparked fear among minority communities, particularly Hindus, amid an already tense situation in several parts of the country. Residents and rights groups have voiced concern over what they describe as a pattern of targeted violence.
Police have launched investigations into both incidents and said efforts are underway to identify and arrest those responsible. No arrests had been reported at the time of filing this report.
The recent surge in violence has renewed calls for stronger security measures and visible action to protect minorities and restore public confidence in law enforcement.
