A 25-year-old Hindu man died on Tuesday after jumping into a canal to escape a mob that was chasing him on suspicion of theft, police said, marking the latest incident in a surge of violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh.
The victim, identified as Mithun Sarkar from Bhandarpur village, was found dead after police recovered his body from the canal later in the afternoon, according to an NDTV report. The circumstances surrounding his death have heightened fears among minority communities already on edge amid a series of recent attacks.
Series Of Killings Fuels Growing Alarm
Sarkar’s death adds to a string of brutal incidents reported over the past several days. On Monday, a Hindu businessman, who also served as the acting editor of a newspaper, was shot dead in the head by unidentified assailants in Jessore district. The same day, a 40-year-old Hindu grocery shop owner was killed with a sharp weapon in Narsingdi city, according to local reports.
Earlier this month, on January 3, Khokon Chandra Das, 50, died after being severely assaulted and set on fire near Keurbhanga Bazar in the Damudya area of Shariatpur district, further intensifying concerns over targeted violence.
December Marked By Lynchings And Mob Attacks
The recent killings follow an especially violent December. On December 24, Amrit Mondal was lynched in Pangsha Upazila of Rajbari town over allegations of extortion. Days earlier, on December 18, Dipu Chandra Das, 25, was beaten to death by a mob in Mymensingh city over alleged blasphemy, with his body later set on fire.
The spike in attacks comes as Bangladesh prepares for its first parliamentary elections since the mass uprising in 2024 that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Voting is scheduled for February 12.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Council for Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian Unity said at least 51 targeted incidents were recorded in December alone, including 10 murders. The council cited cases of arson, rape and looting, warning that the violence appears aimed at intimidating minority communities ahead of the polls.
“Bangladesh has endured political turbulence before, but the current moment is marked by a dangerous combination of institutional fragility and rising communal anxiety,” the council said in its report.
