A 62-year-old Hindu businessman was brutally murdered in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district just days before the country’s national parliamentary elections, raising fresh concerns over minority safety in the region. The victim, identified as Sushen Chandra Sarkar, was a rice trader and owner of a local business named Bhai Bhai Enterprise in Dakshinkanda village.
According to police reports, the incident occurred around 11 pm on February 9 at a marketplace intersection. Unidentified assailants allegedly attacked Sarkar with sharp weapons inside his shop. Authorities said the attackers then shut the shop’s shutters and fled after reportedly stealing a large amount of cash. Sarkar’s family later discovered him severely injured and covered in blood while searching for him. He was rushed to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Sarkar’s son, Sujan Sarkar, claimed that the family had no known disputes or enemies. He alleged that the attackers looted several hundred thousand Bangladeshi taka from the shop before escaping. The body has been sent for postmortem examination, and police have launched an investigation to identify and arrest those responsible.
The killing occurred amid heightened political tension ahead of Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections. Reports also mentioned another incident in which a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was allegedly lynched and burnt in the same region. Human rights groups have expressed concern over increasing incidents of violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh in recent years.
International monitoring organisations have reported rising cases of attacks on minority communities, including killings, arson, and destruction of religious sites. India has also expressed concern over repeated communal incidents in Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs urged Bangladeshi authorities to take firm action to protect minorities and ensure accountability for such crimes.
As investigations continue, the incident has intensified debates over law and order and minority protection ahead of the crucial national polls, drawing attention from both domestic and international observers.
