A 40-year-old Hindu man named Sarat Mani Chakraborty has been killed in Bangladesh, in what is a second such incident in the last 24 hours in the country. Moreover, this is the sixth fatal attack on members of the community in just 18 days amid continuing unrest in the country. Sarat Mani, a grocery store owner, was reportedly attacked with sharp weapons in the Narsingdi district at around 10 pm on Monday. He later died of his injuries.
Hours before he was killed, another 45-year-old factory owner was shot dead in the Jashore district. Rana Pratap, who was also the acting editor of a newspaper, was shot in the head by a group of men, who also slit his throat. Locals alleged that he had multiple cases filed against him.
Sarat Mani Chakraborty was attacked by assailants
Notably, Chakraborty was attacked by unidentified assailants while running his shop at the busy market under Palash upazila. During the attack, he suffered critical injuries and was rushed to hospital by locals, but died either on the way or shortly after being admitted.
The killing of the man in a public marketplace has triggered fear among minorities, many of whom say they now feel unsafe carrying out daily activities.
Another Hindu businessman killed in 24 hours
Another Hindu businessman, who was also the acting editor of a newspaper, was fatally shot in the head by unidentified assailants on Monday in Jessore district in southern Bangladesh, officials said.
"We have received information that one Rana Pratap Bairagi was shot dead at the Keshabpur area of Jessore," Bangladesh Puja Celebration Committee President Bashudeb Dhar said.
The 38-year-old deceased was a resident of Arua village in Keshabpur upazila of Jessore in Khulna Division, Bangla-language daily Prothom Alo reported.
The shooting marks the latest in a spate of violent incidents against minorities in the country, especially the Hindu community members.
India expresses concerns over attacks on minorities
India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh. Bairagi, who owned an ice-making factory in Kopaliya Bazar in Monirampur, was also the acting editor of a newspaper called 'Dainik BD Khabar' published from Narail, according to the daily.
The incident was reported around 5:45 pm at Kopaliya Bazaar on Monday, bdnews24 news portal quoted Additional Police Superintendent Abul Basar as saying.
There has been a spate of violence targeting the minority community in the country in the last few weeks, and mob violence or clandestine attacks have emerged as a major crisis in Bangladesh’s changed political landscape, according to political observers. As of the 2022 census, approximately 13.13 million Hindus reside in Bangladesh, constituting about 7.95 per cent of the total population.
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Hindu man shot dead in Bangladesh; fifth such incident in three weeks
