Dhaka, Jan 6: Two Hindu men—a grocery shop owner and a newspaper editor—were killed in separate violent attacks in Bangladesh on January 5, heightening concerns over the safety of minority communities amid reports of growing insecurity in different parts of the country.
In the first incident, 40-year-old Sarat Chakraborty Mani, a Hindu grocery shop owner, was hacked to death by unidentified assailants in Narsingdi district, near Dhaka, on Monday night. According to local media reports, including the Bangladesh-registered newspaper Weekly Blitz, Mani was attacked while running his shop at Charsindur Bazaar in Palash Upazila.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrived suddenly and assaulted him with sharp weapons before fleeing. Mani was rushed to a hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Police have launched an investigation, though no arrests have been reported so far.
Local media also reported that Mani had earlier expressed fear over the deteriorating law-and-order situation. On December 19, he allegedly posted on Facebook describing his birthplace as having turned into a “valley of death.” Police said they are examining whether the social media post has any connection to the killing.
In a separate incident earlier the same day, another Hindu man was shot dead in public in the Monirampur area of Jessore district. The victim, identified as Rana Pratap Bairagi, was an ice factory owner and the acting editor of the newspaper Dainik BD Khobor, published from Narail.
According to leading Bengali daily Prothom Alo, three assailants arrived on a motorcycle and called Bairagi out from his ice factory at Kapalia Bazar. He was then taken to a nearby alley, where he was shot at close range in the head. Bairagi died on the spot, and the attackers escaped.
Monirampur police station officer-in-charge Md Raziullah Khan said the body had been recovered and sent for post-mortem examination. “We are investigating the incident. The motive behind the killing has not yet been ascertained,” he said, adding that efforts are underway to identify and arrest the perpetrators.
The two killings have once again drawn attention to the security situation of minority communities in Bangladesh. With these incidents, at least six Hindu individuals have reportedly been killed in violent attacks across the country over the past 18 days, according to local media reports.
In recent weeks, there have been multiple reports of attacks on Hindu homes, businesses and individuals, prompting concern among minority organisations and rights groups. While authorities have maintained that law and order remains under control, community leaders allege that targeted violence and intimidation against minorities continue in several areas.
Police officials said investigations are ongoing in all recent cases and assured that those responsible would be brought to justice. However, the absence of arrests in several high-profile incidents has continued to fuel anxiety and anger among affected communities.
