Following the violence in Bangladesh against Hindus, a grocery shop owner has been killed in a knife attack. This marks the second killing in 24 hours and sixth in two weeks. The victim, identified as 40-year-old Sharat (Mani) Chakraborty, was running his grocery shop at Charsindur Bazar in Palash upazila when unidentified assailants attacked him with sharp-edged weapons, according to local media reports.
Chakraborty suffered critical injuries and died while being taken to hospital. Police said an investigation is underway to identify and arrest those responsible.
Local media reported that on December 19, Chakraborty had posted on Facebook expressing concern over rising violence in the country, describing his area as having turned into a “valley of death”.
Assailants Silently Attacked Sharat
The Federal reported that Chakraborty was at his grocery shop in the Charsindur Bazaar in the Palash Upazila area of Narsingdi when unidentified assailants suddenly attacked him with sharp weapons and critically injured him.
Local residents rushed him to a hospital, but Chakraborty succumbed to his injuries on the way. He is survived by his wife, Antara Mukherjee, and his 12-year-old son, Abhik Chakraborty.
As per local media reports, Chakraborty was previously employed in South Korea before returning to Bangladesh a few years ago.
Hindu widow gang-raped in Jhenaidah
In a separate incident, a 44-year-old Hindu widowed woman was allegedly gang-raped in the Kaliganj area of Jhenaidah district.
Police said the woman was assaulted, tied to a tree and beaten. One accused, identified as Hasan, 45, has been arrested, while others remain at large.
Rising Violence Against Hindus in Bangladesh
The shooting marks the latest in a spate of violent incidents against the Hindu community members. On January 3, Khokon Chandra Das (50) died after he was brutally attacked, hacked and set on fire.
On December 24, a Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, was lynched over alleged extortion in Rajbari town’s Pangsha upazila. Before that, on December 18, Dipu Chandra Das (25) was lynched by a mob, and his body was set on fire over alleged blasphemy in Mymensingh city.
Unidentified men also set the house of Qatari expatriate workers Shukh Shil and Anil Shil on fire in the Raojan area on the outskirts of Chattogram on December 23, but the residents managed to escape unharmed.
13.13 million Hindus reside in Bangladesh
There has been a spate of violence targeting the minority community in the country in the last few weeks, and mob violence or clandestine attacks have emerged as a major crisis in Bangladesh’s changed political landscape, according to political observers.
India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh. As of the 2022 census, approximately 13.13 million Hindus reside in Bangladesh, constituting about 7.95 per cent of the total population.
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