NEW DELHI, Jan 6: Violence against minorities in Bangladesh claimed the lives of two Hindu men within 24 hours, taking the death toll of Hindus to six in the last 18 days as unrest continues to spread across the country.
Moni Chakraborty was killed after being attacked with sharp weapons in Narsingdi district around 10 pm on Monday (Jan 5). He later succumbed to his injuries, reports said. Earlier the same day, Rana Pratap Bairagi (45), a Hindu factory owner and acting editor of a local newspaper, was shot dead in Jashore district.
Rana Pratap Bairagi, the son of a school teacher from neighbouring Keshabpur sub-district, had been running an ice factory in Kopalia Bazar for the past two years. He was also the acting editor of Narail-based daily BD Khobor. According to reports, a group of men called him out of his factory on Monday evening, led him into an alley, shot him in the head and slit his throat. Reports also claimed multiple cases had been filed against him.
NDTV, citing a local resident, reported that the assailants arrived on a motorcycle, argued with Bairagi, fired several rounds at his head and fled. Police said he was shot three times in the head and seven bullet casings were recovered from the spot. The murder is under investigation, officials said.
Monday’s killings are part of a recent spate of violent incidents targeting minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh. On Saturday (Jan 3), a Hindu woman was allegedly brutally raped by two men in Jhenaidah district. The attackers reportedly demanded money, tied her to a tree, cut off her hair and recorded the assault, videos of which later circulated on social media. She was taken to hospital by local residents.
Earlier, Khokon Chandra Das (50) was attacked and set on fire and later died in hospital on Saturday. Another Hindu man, Bajendra Biswas, was shot dead in Mymensingh on December 29, while two more Hindu men were lynched by a mob last month, reports said. (Agencies)
