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On Monday night, Sharat Chakraborty Mani, a 40-year-old Hindu grocery store owner, was killed in Narsingdi district. On the same day, Hindu journalist Rana Pratap Bairagi was murdered in Manirampur, Jashore.
Bangladesh sees fresh minority killings
Dhaka: Violence against minorities in Bangladesh is showing signs of escalation, with two people killed within a span of 24 hours, raising fresh concerns over law and order and the safety of vulnerable communities.
In total, six Hindus have been killed across the country in the last 18 days amid growing unrest.
On Monday night, Sharat Chakraborty Mani, a 40-year-old Hindu grocery store owner, was killed in Narsingdi district. On the same day, Hindu journalist Rana Pratap Bairagi was murdered in Manirampur, Jashore.
According to reports, Mani was attacked while attending to his grocery shop at the Charsindur market in Palash sub-district. Local media outlet Blitz, citing eyewitnesses, said unidentified assailants suddenly attacked him, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to a hospital by local residents but succumbed to his injuries on the way.
Mani is survived by his wife, Antara Mukherjee, a homemaker, and their 12-year-old son. He had previously worked in South Korea before returning to Bangladesh a few years ago, where he ran his grocery business. A family member, speaking anonymously, said Mani lived a quiet life and had no known disputes with anyone.
The same day, Rana Pratap Bairagi, 45, an executive editor of BD Khabar and owner of a local ice factory, was killed in the Kopalia Bazaar area of Manirampur. Mohammad Rajiullah Khan, Officer-in-Charge of the Manirampur police station, said the attack occurred around 6 p.m. Police recovered multiple spent cartridges from the scene and have launched an investigation.
An eyewitness said the attackers arrived on a motorcycle, called Rana outside his factory, carried out the attack, and fled immediately. Rana was the son of a schoolteacher from Arua village in Keshabpur sub-district and had been running his ice factory for the past two years.
These killings add to a growing list of violent incidents targeting minorities in recent weeks. Last month, Dipu Chandra Das, a garment factory worker, was killed by a mob in Mymensingh district. Since then, further attacks have been reported across the country.
Last week, Khokan Das, a 50-year-old Hindu pharmacy owner and mobile banking agent, was assaulted while returning home after closing his shop in Keharbhanga market and later died from his injuries. In another incident, Bajendra Biswas, a Hindu garment factory worker, was shot and killed while on duty in Mymensingh.
The recent spate of killings has intensified concerns about the safety of minorities in Bangladesh and the ability of authorities to prevent further violence.
