ISKCON Kolkata vice-president and spokesperson Radharamn Das on Tuesday alleged that another Hindu shopkeeper had been killed in Bangladesh, marking the second such death within 24 hours, according to multiple news reports.
News agencies, citing police sources, said that Sarat (Mani) Chakraborty, who owned a grocery shop, was attacked with sharp weapons in Narsingdi district late on Monday and later died from his injuries. With this incident, at least six members of the Hindu community have reportedly lost their lives to violence in Bangladesh over the past three weeks.
Authorities said a probe has been initiated to identify those responsible for the attack. A police officer, quoted by Bangladesh News Channel Blitz, said investigations were underway to determine the involvement of suspects, Indian Express reported
Chakraborty, aged around 40, belonged to Bangladesh’s Hindu minority and ran a grocery store at Charsindur Bazaar in Palash Upazila, on the outskirts of Dhaka. Reports said he was assaulted by unidentified attackers while at his shop and died while being taken to the hospital.
Earlier the same day, another Hindu man, Rana Pratap, a 45-year-old factory owner who also served as an acting newspaper editor, was shot dead in the Jessore (Jashore) district. Witnesses reportedly told police that assailants called him out of his ice factory, led him into a nearby lane and shot him. Police said he sustained a gunshot wound to the head, and seven empty cartridges were recovered from the spot.
A local resident was quoted as saying the attackers arrived on a motorcycle and fled immediately after the shooting.
Recent weeks have seen a series of violent incidents involving members of the Hindu community in different parts of Bangladesh. Reports suggest that Hindus have been killed or attacked in incidents linked to workplace disputes, local tensions or mob violence.
India has earlier expressed concern over violence against minorities in Bangladesh, saying reports of killings, assaults and land-related disputes involving minorities should not be brushed aside.