A Hindu businessman was murdered in Bangladesh just three days before the country’s parliamentary elections, intensifying concerns about minority safety.
The victim, Sushen Chandra Sarkar (62), a rice trader from Dakshinkanda village, owned Bhai Bhai Enterprise at Bogar Bazar. According to police, unknown assailants attacked him with sharp weapons around 11 pm, locked his body inside the shop, and stole lakhs of rupees. His family later discovered him covered in blood. Doctors at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital declared him dead.
Sarkar’s son, Sujan Sarkar, said the killers looted several hundred thousand taka after brutally murdering his father. He demanded swift identification and punishment of the perpetrators.
This incident follows the lynching and burning of another Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, in the same district. Rights groups warn that violence against Hindus has escalated since Bangladesh’s political transition in August 2024. Reports from international monitoring bodies, including the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, highlight rising intimidation and displacement of Hindu communities throughout 2025.
With elections scheduled for Thursday, the attacks have drawn global attention. Human rights advocates argue that such violence undermines democratic credibility.
India expressed concern, urging Bangladesh to act firmly against communal incidents. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said recurring attacks on minorities and their businesses show a disturbing pattern. He criticised Bangladesh’s tendency to attribute such violence to personal rivalries, warning that this emboldens perpetrators and spreads fear among minorities.
