Bangladesh has seen a pointy rise in violence in opposition to its minority Hindu group, with six Hindus killed previously 18 days. The incidents have triggered critical considerations over legislation and order and the protection of minorities.The newest incident occurred on Monday night time, when Sarat Chakraborty Mani (40), a Hindu grocery store proprietor, was brutally murdered in Narsingdi, on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka. Mani was attacked with sharp weapons at Charsindur Bazaar in Palash Upazila whereas he was working his store as traditional. In keeping with eyewitnesses, unidentified assailants immediately attacked him, leaving him critically injured. Whereas locals rushed him to the hospital, he died on the way in which, Bangladesh information channel Blitz reported. Sarat Chakraborty Mani was the son of Madan Thakur, a resident of Sadharchar Union in Shibpur Upazila. His spouse, Antara Mukherjee, is a homemaker and he has a 12-year-old son, Abhik Chakraborty.Mani had earlier labored in South Korea and returned to Bangladesh a couple of years in the past. He later constructed a home in Brahmandi, Narsingdi city, the place he lived along with his household.A member of the family, talking on situation of anonymity, mentioned Mani lived a easy and peaceable life and had no disputes with anybody. He was, nevertheless, deeply troubled by the deteriorating scenario within the nation.On December 19, he wrote in a Fb publish: “A lot hearth in all places, a lot violence. My birthplace has became a valley of loss of life,” based on Blitz.Mani’s neighbour described him as calm, humane and socially accountable, stating that he had no enemies. In keeping with the neighbour, the one potential cause for his killing was that he was Hindu.Social activist and organizer Bappaditya Basu strongly condemned the homicide. Chatting with Blitz, he mentioned: “Earlier than the blood of 1 Hindu in Bangladesh has even dried, one other Hindu is being killed. Earlier than the information of Rana Pratap of Jessore may fade, Sarat Chakraborty Mani of Narsingdi was murdered.”He warned that if such violence continued, “there will likely be no existence of Hindus left in Bangladesh inside a couple of years”.Basu additional accused the federal government of backing the violence, stating that in a rustic the place the “genocide or ethnic cleaning of Hindus” is carried out underneath a transparent state plan, “being Hindu itself turns into a significant cause to be killed”.He additionally claimed that he personally knew Mani and revealed chilling particulars of threats the sufferer had confronted. In keeping with Basu, two days earlier than the homicide, extremist Islamists demanded a big sum of cash from Mani, telling him that if he wished to stay in Bangladesh, he must pay jizya. Basu claimed that the identical extremists later murdered Mani.Mani’s killing got here on the identical day because the homicide of Hindu journalist Rana Pratap Bairagi (also referred to as Rana Pratap) in Manirampur, Jashore. The 45-year-old manufacturing unit proprietor and performing editor of BD Khobor was shot a number of instances within the head and his throat was slit within the Kopalia Bazar space.Monirampur Police Station Officer-in-Cost Md Raziullah Khan mentioned the assault befell round 6 pm. He mentioned: “Rana was shot 3 times within the head, and his throat was slit. Upon receiving the information, we went to the scene. The physique has been recovered and despatched for post-mortem. We’re investigating the perpetrators.”Police recovered seven bullet casings from the spot.Witness Ripon Hossain mentioned the attackers arrived on a motorbike, known as Rana out of his ice manufacturing unit, shot him a number of instances and fled instantly. Rana was the son of a schoolteacher from Arua village in Keshabpur upazila and had been working his ice manufacturing unit for 2 years.Rana’s homicide adopted a collection of brutal assaults on Hindus throughout Bangladesh.In Mymensingh district, Dipu Chandra Das, an area garment manufacturing unit employee, was lynched by a mob, after which his physique was hung from a tree and set on hearth final month.One other killing was reported final week, when Khokon Das (50), a Hindu pharmacy proprietor and bKash cellular banking agent, was attacked whereas returning dwelling after closing his store in Keherbhanga Bazaar. He was assaulted by three to 4 attackers close to the Tilai space and later died from his accidents.Final week, Bajendra Biswas, a Hindu garment manufacturing unit employee, was shot lifeless whereas on obligation at a manufacturing unit in Mymensingh.
Sexual violence in opposition to Hindu girls provides to minority fears
Alongside these killings, sexual violence in opposition to Hindu girls has additionally sparked outrage. In Jhenaidah district, a 40-year-old Hindu widow was allegedly tortured, raped, tied to a tree and had her hair lower by two native males. The survivor was rescued unconscious and admitted to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital.Hospital superintendent Dr Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman mentioned: “Later, by medical examination, we got here to know that she had been subjected to torture.”Jhenaidah extra superintendent of police Bilal Hossain mentioned: “We’ve known as the sufferer to the police station and registered her grievance. After finishing the investigation, the police will take strict authorized motion in opposition to these accountable.”The 2 accused have since been arrested.The string of killings and assaults has drawn worldwide consideration. India has expressed concern over what it described as “unremitting hostility” confronted by minorities in Bangladesh underneath the interim authorities led by Muhammad Yunus, including that it’s intently monitoring the scenario.