A 30-year-old Hindu man was crushed to death by an SUV at a petrol pump in Bangladesh after attempting to stop the vehicle from leaving without paying for fuel. The incident has added to growing concerns over attacks on religious minorities in the country.
The victim, Ripon Saha, worked at Karim Filling Station in Goalanda Mor, Rajbari district. According to local media reports, the SUV allegedly ran him over before fleeing the scene.
Incident At Fuel Station
According to The Daily Star, the incident took place around 4:30 am on Friday when a black SUV took fuel worth Rs 3,710 from the filling station.
Police and eyewitnesses said that when the vehicle appeared to leave without paying, Saha stood in front of it to stop the driver. The SUV then allegedly ran over him, killing him on the spot, before speeding away.
“We will file a murder case. The worker stood in front of the car after they refused to pay for fuel, and they ran him over before fleeing,” Rajbari Sadar Police chief Khondakar Ziaur Rahman told news portal bdnews24.com.
Arrests Made, Vehicle Seized
Police later seized the SUV and arrested its owner, Abul Hashem, alias Sujan, 55, and the driver, Kamal Hossain, 43.
Hashem is a former treasurer of the Rajbari district unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a former president of the district Jubo Dal. He is a contractor by profession, police said.
Part Of Broader Pattern Of Attacks On Minorities
The killing comes amid a series of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. According to the 2022 census, the country is home to around 13.13 million Hindus, who make up approximately 7.95 per cent of the population.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has expressed serious concern over what it described as escalating attacks on minority communities. The organisation alleged that with the general elections approaching, communal violence is increasing to deter minority voters from exercising their franchise freely.
The Council said it recorded 51 incidents of communal violence in December 2025 alone.
India Raises Concerns
New Delhi has also criticised Muslim-majority Bangladesh over the treatment of minorities, particularly Hindus.
India has pointed to a troubling tendency to downplay attacks on minorities by attributing them to personal disputes or unrelated factors, warning that such narratives embolden extremist elements.
At Least 15 Hindus Killed In 45 Days: Report
According to a report by the Rights & Risks Analysis Group, at least 15 Hindus were murdered in Bangladesh between December 1, 2025 and January 15, 2026.
The victims listed include Samir Das and Prolay Chaki on January 11; Joy Mohapatra on January 10; Mithun Sarkar and Sarat Mani Chakraborty on January 6; Rana Pratap Bairagi on January 5; Khokon Chandra Das on December 31; Bajendra Biswas on December 29; Amrit Mondal on December 24; Dipu Chandra Das on December 18; Shanto Chandra Das on December 12; Jogesh Chandra Roy and Suborna Roy on December 7; and Prantosh Kormokar and Utpol Sarkar on December 2.
