Narsingdi, Bangladesh: A Hindu shopkeeper was brutally killed by unidentified assailants in Bangladesh’s Narsingdi district, adding to growing concerns over a spate of violent attacks targeting members of the minority community in recent weeks.
According to police and local residents, the victim, identified as Moni, was returning home late Monday night after closing his shop when attackers intercepted him and struck him with a sharp, locally made weapon. He collapsed at the scene due to severe injuries.
Locals immediately rushed him to the Palash Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Police reached the spot soon after receiving information and launched an investigation into the incident.
Officer-in-Charge Shahed said efforts are underway to identify and arrest those responsible. The body has been sent to the Narsingdi Sadar Hospital morgue for post-mortem examination.
The killing comes amid a series of violent incidents involving members of the Hindu community across different parts of the country. Earlier on Monday, 38-year-old Rana Pratap Bairagi was shot dead in the head by unidentified men at Kapalia Bazaar in Jessore’s Keshabpur upazila.
On January 3, Khokon Chandra Das, aged 50, succumbed to injuries after being attacked, hacked and set on fire. Another incident on December 24 saw Amrit Mondal lynched in Rajbari district’s Pangsha upazila following allegations of extortion.
On December 18, Dipu Chandra Das, 25, was lynched by a mob and his body set ablaze in Mymensingh city over alleged blasphemy. In a separate incident on December 23, unidentified men set fire to the home of Qatar expatriate workers Shukh Shil and Anil Shil in the Raojan area near Chattogram, though the occupants escaped unharmed.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing in all cases, as rights groups and community members express rising concern over the pattern of violence.
