Another Hindu Man Killed In Bangladesh As Attacks On Minorities Continue

Last Updated:January 05, 2026, 20:38 IST

Rana Pratap Bairagi, a Hindu youth, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Monirampur upazila, Jessore, Bangladesh, marking the fifth minority attack in three weeks.

The killing of Rana Pratap Bairagi marks the fifth reported minority attack in less than three weeks. (IMAGE: X/@salah_shoaib)

As Bangladesh heads into a crucial election season, a Hindu youth was shot dead on Monday, marking the fifth reported incident of violence against minorities in less than three weeks and deepening concerns over law and order ahead of the polls.

According to journalist and Blitz editor Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, the victim has been identified as Rana Pratap Bairagi, who was allegedly shot by unidentified assailants in Monirampur upazila under Jessore district.

According to a separate report by Khoborer Kagoj, the shooting took place in full public view at Kopalia Bazar. Citing Jessore Additional Superintendent of Police Abul Bashar, the report said the incident occurred around 5:45 pm (local time) on Monday, when the youth was shot by assailants at the marketplace.

The report also said that Bairagi was the acting editor of Narail-based daily BD Khobor. He was also associated with a local ice factory business at Kopalia Bazar.

The circumstances surrounding the killing remain unclear, and police are yet to release an official statement detailing arrests or possible motives.

The latest killing comes amid a spate of violent incidents involving members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh in recent weeks, raising alarm as the country prepares for general elections scheduled for February 12.

On December 31, Khokon Das, a Hindu businessman from Shariatpur district, was attacked by a mob while returning home after closing his medical shop. He was stabbed, beaten and set on fire after being doused with petrol. Khokon Das later succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Police have said investigations are ongoing, though no convictions have been reported so far.

One of the most shocking incidents in the recent spate of violence was the lynching of 27-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment factory worker in Bhaluka, Mymensingh district. On the night of December 18, Das was accused of making derogatory remarks about Islam at a factory event and was attacked by a large mob that beat him, stripped him, hanged him from a tree and set his body on fire, according to police reports and multiple media accounts. Investigators later said no evidence was found to support the blasphemy allegation that triggered the attack, and arrests were made in connection with the lynching.

In another widely reported case, a Hindu woman in Kaliganj in central Bangladesh alleged that she was gangraped by two men, tied to a tree and had her hair cut off following a land dispute. The 40-year-old survivor detailed the assault in a police complaint, leading to two arrests and an investigation, according to Bangladesh Pratidin.

Concerns have also extended beyond civilian attacks to include intimidation of Hindu officials. In Kurigram district, district administrator Annapurna Debnath was allegedly surrounded and verbally abused by Islamist activists after cancelling the nomination of a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate over unresolved dual citizenship issues, according to Prothom Alo.

News world Another Hindu Man Killed In Bangladesh As Attacks On Minorities Continue

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