Violence against Hindus continues in Bangladesh ahead of elections, seventh murder in 23 days

Violence against Hindus continues in Bangladesh. 7 Hindus have been murdered in 23 days. Last Sunday, a young man named Samir was killed.

Violence against minority Hindus has been ongoing in Bangladesh since the death of Inquilab Manch leader Usman Hadi. Elections are scheduled to be held in Bangladesh on February 12. Recently, unknown miscreants beat 28-year-old Samir Kumar Das severely, stabbed him to death, and also looted his auto-rickshaw.

According to Bangladeshi media, Samir left his home with his auto-rickshaw at 7 PM on Sunday. When he did not return home late at night, his family became worried and started searching for him. Around 2 AM, locals found his body in a field in Jagatpur village. In the last 23 days, 7 Hindus have been murdered in Bangladesh.

What Bangladesh Police is Saying

Bangladesh Police have issued a statement regarding Samir's murder. The police said that local weapons were used in Samir's murder. The police stated that preliminary investigations suggest the youth was murdered as part of a conspiracy. No arrests have been made in this case yet, but the attackers will be apprehended soon.

Prior to this, on January 5, a Hindu shopkeeper was murdered with sharp weapons in the Narsingdi district of Bangladesh. Sharat Mani Chakraborty, 40, was critically injured in this attack and died during treatment. Before Mani's murder, a Hindu journalist in Bangladesh was also killed. Journalist Rana Pratap Bairagi was shot dead in broad daylight. According to eyewitnesses, the attackers arrived on motorcycles. They called him out from his ice factory, took him to a nearby alley, and after an argument, shot him multiple times in the head.

Deephu Was Lynched by a Mob on Blasphemy Charges

So far, 6 people from the Hindu community have been murdered in Bangladesh. Among the deceased are Rana Pratap, Deephu Das, Amrit Mandal, Bajrendra Biswas, and Khokon Das. Deephu Das was murdered on alleged blasphemy charges, while businessman Khokon Das was attacked by a mob and burned alive by pouring petrol on him.

India Expresses Concern

India has also expressed concern over the treatment of minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh. Last week, India's Ministry of External Affairs stated that it is continuously monitoring the situation in Bangladesh. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a weekly press briefing, "We are seeing a disturbing pattern of repeated attacks on minorities and their properties in Bangladesh. Such incidents must be dealt with strictly and promptly."