Rajbari (Bangladesh): Bangladesh continued to witness incidents of mob violence as a Hindu man was beaten to death by villagers in the Rajbari district, with police suspecting the killing to be linked to an extortion dispute.
According to officials, the incident took place late Wednesday night in Pansha area of Rajbari district. The victim, identified as Amrit Mandal, also known as Samrat, was allegedly assaulted by a group of villagers around 11 pm after accusations of extortion surfaced.
Police claimed that Samrat had multiple criminal cases registered against him, including charges related to extortion and intimidation. Authorities alleged that he was the leader of a local criminal group known as the “Samrat Bahini.” The 30-year-old was the son of Akshay Mandal, a resident of Husaindanga village.
During the investigation, police arrested one of his associates, identified as Master Salim, and recovered a pistol and other weapons from his possession. Officials said two cases, including one related to murder, have been registered against Samrat.
Villagers told police that Samrat had allegedly demanded money from a local resident, Shahidul Islam. On Wednesday night, Samrat and several of his associates reportedly went to Shahidul’s house to collect the money. When the family raised an alarm by shouting “thief,” locals gathered at the spot and began assaulting Samrat. His associates managed to flee, while Salim was later detained and handed over to the police along with the recovered weapon.
Residents also claimed that Samrat had been hiding in India for a long period and had returned to Bangladesh only recently. They accused him of running an extortion racket and being involved in various illegal activities in the area.
The incident comes just days after another Hindu man, Deepu Chandra, was lynched by a mob in Bangladesh. Following that killing, interim government chief Muhammad Yunus had condemned mob and communal violence, stating that there was no place for such acts in the country.
Police said a detailed investigation is underway to ascertain all circumstances surrounding the killing.
