A disturbing surge in violence against Bangladesh’s Hindu minority has unfolded over the past few weeks, marked by lynchings, mob assaults and what appear to be targeted killings. An examination by India Today Digital shows that at least 11 Hindus have been killed across the country within a span of just 35 days, pointing to a deeply worrying pattern of violence that has intensified in recent times.
On Monday, January 5, within hours of the fatal shooting of Hindu newspaper editor Rana Kanti Bairagi in Bangladesh’s Jessore district, reports surfaced of another killing involving a member of the Hindu community. Mani Chakraborty, a grocery shop owner in Narsingdi district, succumbed to injuries after being attacked by unidentified assailants. These two incidents marked the fifth and sixth murders of Hindus in just 18 days, following the brutal lynching of garment worker Dipu Chandra Das on December 18 in Mymensingh, where Islamist mobs allegedly beat him to death and burned his body.
A broader review of reporting from both Indian and Bangladeshi media outlets paints an even bleaker picture. In the 35 days leading up to January 5, at least 11 Hindus were killed in different parts of Bangladesh. Among the victims were a 1971 Liberation War freedom fighter, known as a Muktijoddha, and his wife, who were discovered murdered in their home in Rangpur district with their throats slit. These killings have raised serious concerns about the safety of minorities following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024.
Despite the growing number of deaths, the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus has repeatedly dismissed the killings as isolated incidents, exaggerations, or non-communal crimes. However, the accumulating figures suggest otherwise and indicate a troubling trend of targeted violence against Hindus. Since the fall of the Hasina government, reports of attacks on minorities, including assaults on Hindu homes, temples and businesses, have increased, fuelling fears of systematic neglect and denial by an interim regime perceived by critics as being sympathetic to Islamist forces.
The deterioration of law and order in Bangladesh under the Yunus administration extends beyond minority-targeted violence. According to a December 2025 report by the Bangladeshi human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra, as many as 197 people were killed in mob attacks during 2025 alone. This forms part of a larger total of 293 mob-related deaths recorded since 2024, highlighting a broader breakdown of public safety and accountability across the country.
International and domestic human rights organisations have also raised alarms over the situation. On December 19, the Washington DC–based group Hindus for Human Rights urged the interim government to urgently establish a Ministry for Minority Affairs and take concrete steps to guarantee the safety and rights of minority communities. However, meaningful action appeared to follow only after the particularly gruesome lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, which drew condemnation from lawmakers abroad and intensified scrutiny of the Yunus administration.
While national and international attention largely focused on the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a closer look at the preceding weeks reveals a steady escalation of violence. Between December 2, 2025, and January 5, 2026, at least 11 Hindus were killed across Bangladesh. Some cases bear clear signs of communal hatred, while others occurred under suspicious circumstances that strongly suggest deliberate targeting with lethal intent.
The first recorded case in this period occurred on December 2, when 42-year-old gold trader Prantosh Kormokar was shot dead in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi district. According to reports, masked men lured him out of his home under the guise of a business discussion and took him to a nearby school playground, where he was shot in the chest. Although he was rushed to hospital, he was declared dead on arrival, and police initially said they were unable to identify the motive or assailants.
On the same day, 35-year-old fish trader Utpol Sarkar was brutally murdered in Faridpur district’s Saltha upazila. While travelling to a neighbouring market, Sarkar was intercepted by attackers who restrained his van driver before hacking him to death. His body was later found in an open field, and authorities said the motive remained unclear, with the killing not being officially categorised as robbery.
Another shocking incident came to light on December 7, when 75-year-old Liberation War veteran Jogesh Chandra Roy and his wife Suborna Roy were found murdered in their Rangpur home. Both had their throats slit, and neighbours discovered their bodies after receiving no response at the door. The couple lived alone, and police estimated the killings occurred in the early hours of the morning. Despite the gravity of the crime, no immediate case was filed, and the motive remained unknown.
On December 12, the body of 18-year-old autorickshaw driver Shanto Chandra Das was found in a cornfield in Cumilla district, with his throat slit. Shanto had gone missing the previous evening after leaving home with his vehicle, which investigators believe was stolen after the murder. While police linked the crime to robbery, the brutality of the killing heightened fear among minority families in the area.
The most widely reported killing occurred on December 18, when Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old garment worker, was lynched by an Islamist mob in Bhaluka, Mymensingh. Reports indicate that factory supervisors forced him to resign and then handed him over to a mob that beat him to death, hung his body along a highway and set it on fire. Although vague allegations of blasphemy were cited, investigations found no evidence to support them, suggesting the killing was premeditated. India strongly condemned the murder, calling continued violence against minorities in Bangladesh a matter of grave concern.
On December 24, 30-year-old Amrit Mandal was beaten to death by a mob in Rajbari district after being accused of extortion. Police described Mandal as a local criminal with multiple cases against him and stated that the killing stemmed from disputes rather than communal motives, though it occurred in the aftermath of the Dipu Das lynching.
Another incident took place on December 29, when Bajendra Biswas, a Hindu member of the Ansar Bahini, was shot dead by a colleague inside a garment factory in Mymensingh district. Eyewitnesses said the shooter fired after joking about it, and authorities initially described the act as a tragic accident. Biswas later died from his injuries, and the accused was arrested.
On January 3, 2026, Khokon Chandra Das, a Hindu businessman from Shariatpur district, died from severe burn injuries sustained in a mob attack on New Year’s Eve. He was stabbed, doused with petrol and set on fire while returning home from his pharmacy. Despite attempting to save himself by jumping into a pond, he suffered fatal burns and died after three days in hospital.
Two more killings followed on January 5. Rana Kanti Bairagi, a newspaper editor and factory owner, was shot dead by three men who lured him into an alley before firing multiple shots and slitting his throat. On the same day, grocery shop owner Mani Chakraborty was attacked at his store in Narsingdi district and later died from his injuries, prompting demands from the local community for swift justice.
Although the Yunus administration appeared to respond more visibly after the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, questions remain about whether other killings will be investigated with similar urgency. Critics argue that past responses suggest selective action, particularly when compared to the swift reaction following the killing of radical leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
This scepticism is reinforced by signs of eroding law enforcement authority. A viral video from a police station in Habiganj district shows leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement confronting officers and demanding the release of a detained leader. During the exchange, they openly boasted about setting a police station on fire and burning a Hindu police officer alive in August 2024, a chilling admission made without fear of repercussions.
Against this backdrop, serious doubts persist over the fate of investigations into the killings of Hindus in Bangladesh. Whether these cases will be pursued with determination or dismissed as isolated exceptions remains an open question, as concerns grow over accountability, intent and the capacity of the state to protect its minorities under the Yunus-led interim regime.
