INVESTIGATION NEWS

Bangladesh Murder Case: Two Hindu Men Killed, Police Begin Probe

Two Hindu men were murdered in Bangladesh. Police have launched an investigation as authorities address concerns over minority safety.

BY JANE M. CARTER

JANUARY 9, 2026

Rana Pratap Bairagi and Sarat Mani Chakraborty

The incessant outrage against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh witnessed a new episode as two Hindu men were killed by anonymous assailants on Monday (January 5,2026) within hours of each other. Both the victims were killed at their place of work by the assailants. The incident which took place amid a deteriorating law and order situation in Bangladesh has sparked serious concern for the safety of the minority community.

The consecutive murders have taken the toll to six Hindu deaths within a span of 18 days. The latest victims have been identified as Rana Pratap Bairagi, a 38-year-old Hindu businessman and Sarat Mani Chakraborty, a 40-year-old Hindu grocery shop owner.

Why this news matters:

The killings of these two Hindu individuals within hours of each other is significant not just because of the loss of life, but also due to the disturbing pattern that raises serious questions about minority rights, public safety, and law and order. These incessant murders in such a short span of 18 days have instilled fear in an already vulnerable Hindu minority. These uncontrolled incidents also deteriorate the confidence of the people towards the institutions supposed to protect citizens from such incidents.

Bairangi’s murder

According to The Federal, Chakraborty was at his grocery shop in the Charsindur Bazaar in the Palash Upazila area of Narsingdi when he was suddenly attacked by anonymous assailants with sharp weapons which injured him critically injured. Although the local residents rushed him to a hospital, he surrendered to his injuries on the way. Chakraborty, who was 40, is survived by his wife, Antara Mukherjee, and his 12-year-old son, Abhik Chakraborty. These events mark the latest among the violent incidents towards the Hindu minority in Bangladesh.

Rana Pratap Bairagi and Sarat Mani Chakraborty second image

On January 3, Khokon Chandra Das (50), a Hindu pharmacy owner and bKash mobile banking agent died after he was brutally hacked and set on fire. Amrit Mondal, a Hindu man, was lynched on December 24 in the Pangsha upazila of Rajbari town due to alleged extortion. Prior to that, on December 18, a mob in Mymensingh city lynched 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das and burned his body on fire due to accusations of blasphemy. Bajendra Biswas, a Hindu garment factory worker, was shot dead last week while on duty at a factory in Mymensingh. On December 23, several unidentified persons set fire to the home of Qatari expatriate workers Shukh and Anil Shil in the Raojan neighbourhood on the outskirts of Chattogram, but the occupants were able to flee unscathed.

Mob violence and covert attacks have become a major concern in Bangladesh's altered political landscape, according to political experts. The country's minority community has been the subject of a wave of violence in recent weeks. India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh. According to the 2022 census, there are over 13.13 million Hindus living in Bangladesh, making up 7.95% of the country's total population.