Hindu Businessman Shot Dead in Public in Bangladesh

Another killing of a Hindu man has been reported from Bangladesh, adding to growing concerns over the safety of minorities in the country.

According to Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, an ice factory owner was shot dead in public in the Monirampur area of Jashore district. The victim has been identified as Rana Pratap Bairagi, who owned an ice factory at Kapalia Bazar and was also serving as the acting editor of the local newspaper Dainik BD Khobor, published from Narail.

Local reports said three attackers arrived on a motorcycle and called Bairagi out of his factory. They allegedly led him into a nearby alley, where he was shot in the head at close range before the assailants fled the scene. He died on the spot.

The officer-in-charge of Monirampur police station, Md Raziullah Khan, told Prothom Alo that the body had been recovered and sent for post-mortem examination. Police have not yet disclosed the motive behind the killing, and an investigation is underway.

The incident comes amid a series of reports highlighting attacks on minority community members in different parts of Bangladesh. In a recent case that drew widespread attention, a Hindu man named Khokon Das died after being brutally attacked on New Year’s Eve. He was reportedly assaulted with sharp weapons, doused with petrol and set on fire. Though he tried to save himself by jumping into a nearby pond and was later rushed to hospitals, he succumbed to his injuries.

Following that incident, Bangladesh’s elite force, the Rapid Action Battalion, arrested three key accused.

Earlier, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had voiced serious concern over the killing of Hindu youths in Bangladesh, linking the incidents to the broader issue of minority security and law and order. The ministry cited independent reports claiming that thousands of incidents involving violence, arson and land-related crimes against minorities have occurred in recent times under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus.

The latest killing has once again brought the issue of minority safety in Bangladesh into sharp focus.

Also Read: Another Hindu Man Attacked, Set Ablaze in Bangladesh