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A Hindu community leader was abducted from his home and later killed in Dinajpur, Bangladesh, in a chilling incident that has sparked anger and fear across the region. Bhabesh Chandra, who served as the Vice-President of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad in Biral upazila, was kidnapped on Thursday night and later found brutally assaulted. He died from his injuries the following day, according to a report by PTI.
The attack is the latest in a disturbing pattern of violence against minorities in Bangladesh, especially Hindus, in recent months.
Taken from his home in the middle of the night
Chandra was taken from his home in Biral upazila by a group of men who reportedly arrived on motorcycles. His wife, Shantana Roy, told The Daily Star, a leading newspaper in Bangladesh, that the kidnappers came in pairs on two bikes.
“Four men arrived on two motorcycles and kidnapped Bhabesh from their residence on Thursday,” she said.
Eyewitnesses said they saw the men dragging Chandra away towards a nearby village called Narabari. Locals reported hearing cries and noticing unusual movement late that night.
Left unconscious at home after savage beating
Later that same day, the attackers brought Chandra back in a van — but he was barely alive. Witnesses said he was unconscious and had clearly been beaten badly.
He was rushed to the Biral Upazila Health Complex immediately and then referred to the Dinajpur Medical College Hospital. Doctors there pronounced him dead on arrival.
Police said he had suffered severe injuries from the assault. His death has left the local Hindu community in shock and mourning.
Police say investigation is underway
So far, no arrests have been made. Police say they are still trying to track down the people responsible for the attack.
“The police are working to identify and arrest the suspects involved, and preparations are underway to file a case,” said the officer-in-charge of Biral Police Station.
But residents and community members say they’re frustrated by the lack of quick action. Some feel that violence against minorities is not being taken seriously enough by authorities.
Attacks against Hindus on the rise in Bangladesh
This isn’t an isolated case. Over the past year, attacks on Hindu homes, businesses, and temples have become alarmingly frequent across Bangladesh.
A recent report from Ain o Salish Kendra (AsK), a Dhaka-based human rights group, documented 147 violent incidents targeting Hindu properties and worship spaces. Among them were:
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408 Hindu homes vandalised, including 36 incidents of arson
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113 attacks on businesses owned by members of the Hindu community
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32 incidents of violence against Ahmadiyya sect mosques and temples
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92 temples vandalised, including damage to religious idols
These figures paint a worrying picture of the state of religious minorities in the country.
After political shift, violence has intensified
Since the fall of the Awami League government in 2024 and the rise of the interim administration under Muhammad Yunus in August, attacks on minorities — especially Hindus — have increased significantly.
In September, the Bengali daily Prothom Alo reported that Hindu homes, shops, and places of worship were coming under frequent attack in several parts of the country.
Community leaders say they feel more vulnerable now than ever before. Reports of gang rapes, murders, and temple desecrations have risen since the political transition. Many blame the interim government for failing to protect minorities or take tough action against the attackers.
India raises concerns over safety of minorities
India has repeatedly voiced concern over the growing violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought up the issue during his meeting with Bangladesh’s interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus at the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok.
“On the question of minorities, this particular issue came up for discussion. We have conveyed our concerns regarding the treatment of minorities and the kind of violence that has happened against them. We have been raising this in several of our conversations, including our meeting in Bangkok, that this violence and atrocities against minorities cannot simply be wished away or dismissed as political reasons or media agitations. We hope that the Bangladesh government will take strong action against those responsible for these atrocities,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, at a media briefing.
