Hindu Journalist Shot Dead in Bangladesh

GG News Bureau
Dhaka, 5th Jan: A 45-year-old Hindu factory owner and acting editor of a local newspaper was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bangladesh’s Jashore district, in yet another incident adding to concerns over a rising pattern of violence against minorities in the country.

The victim, Rana Pratap, was killed in the Kopalia Bazar area of Manirampur sub-district around 6 pm on Monday. Local officials said he had been running an ice factory in the area for the past two years.

According to local residents, the attackers arrived on a motorcycle, called Pratap out of his factory, led him into a nearby alley, and shot him in the head after a brief argument. Seven empty bullet casings were found near his body.

Akhtar Faruk Mintu, chairman of the Manoharpur Union Parishad, said Pratap was the son of a schoolteacher from Arua village in neighbouring Keshabpur sub-district and had been living in the Kopalia area due to his business activities.

While some local sources claimed that Pratap had cases registered against him and was linked to an extremist group, BD Khobor news editor Abul Kashem said Pratap had been acquitted in all cases. “Rana Pratap was our acting editor. I cannot say what led to this murder,” he said.

Jahangir Alam, a local BNP leader, alleged that Pratap had been involved in various disputes, though police said the matter is under investigation. Manirampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Raziullah Khan confirmed that the body has been sent for autopsy and that efforts are underway to identify those responsible.

The killing comes amid a string of violent incidents involving members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh. In recent days, a Hindu widow in Jhenaidah district was allegedly gang-raped and assaulted, while Khokon Chandra Das died after being attacked and set ablaze by a mob in Shariatpur district. Earlier, Amrit Mondal and Dipu Chandra Das were also reportedly lynched in separate incidents.