Bangladesh: Hindu community leader abducted and brutally beaten to death

Dhaka, April 18 (IANS) In yet another incident of violence against minorities in Bangladesh, a Hindu leader in Dinajpur's Biral upazila was abducted and brutally assaulted to death, as confirmed by the local police and family members.

The deceased, Bhabesh Chandra, was a prominent leader of the Hindu community in the area who also acted as the Vice-President of the Biral unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, local media reported.

Speaking to Bangladesh's leading newspaper, The Daily Star, Chandra's wife Shantana Roy said that four men arrived on two motorcycles and abducted Bhabesh from their residence on Thursday. Several witnesses also reported seeing the assailants taking Bhabesh to Narabari village, where he was brutally beaten.

Later that day, the attackers dropped Bhabesh's unconscious body back at his home in a van. He was immediately rushed to the Biral Upazila Health Complex. Subsequently, he was transferred to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, where on-duty doctors declared him dead upon arrival.

The officer-in-charge of Biral Police Station said that police are working to identify and arrest the suspects involved, and preparations are underway to file a case.

Last month, a report of the Dhaka-based human rights organisation, Ain O Salish Kendra (AsK), highlighted that there are reports of a total of 147 incidents of vandalization of houses, temples, and business establishments of the Hindu community across Bangladesh.

Some 408 households were vandalised in these incidents, including 36 cases of arson. Besides, there have been reports of 113 incidents of vandalising business establishments owned by the minority community, 32 incidents of attack on temples and mosques of the Ahmadiyya sect, and 92 incidents of vandalising idols in 92 temples.

In September 2024, the country's leading Bengali daily Prothom Alo reported that after the fall of the Awami League government, there have been several incidents of attacks on the minority communities all over the country, particularly on the Hindu community. In many areas, houses, business establishments, and places of worship of Hindus still continue to come under attack.

Bangladesh has been grappling with violence and protests after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus came to power in August, last year. The situation of Hindus has worsened drastically under Yunus-led interim government. There are several reports on an alarming rise in gang rapes, murders, and desecration of temples of Hindu minorities.

India has time and again raised concerns against the atrocities of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, during his meeting with Yunus, held on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok.

"On the question of minorities, this particular issue came up for discussion. We have conveyed our concerns regarding the treatment of minorities and the kind of violence that has happened against them. We have been raising this in several of our conversations, including our meeting in Bangkok, that this violence and atrocities against minorities cannot simply be wished away or dismissed as political reasons or media agitations. We hope that the Bangladesh government will take strong action against those responsible for these atrocities," Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said at a media briefing recently.

--IANS

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