A 40-year-old Hindu shopkeeper was killed in Bangladesh, marking the second such killing within 24 hours. The victim, Sarat Mani Chakraborty, who owned a grocery store, was attacked with sharp weapons in Narsingdi district around 10 p.m. on Monday and later died from his injuries. A 45-year-old factory owner and newspaper acting editor, Rana Pratap, was murdered in Jashore district. According to reports, several men shot him in the head and slit his throat. Local sources claim Pratap had multiple legal cases filed against him. He had been running an ice factory in Kopalia Bazar for the past two years.

Witnesses said the attackers arrived on a motorcycle, argued with Pratap, shot him multiple times, and escaped. Police recovered seven bullet casings from the scene, and an officer confirmed Pratap had been shot three times in the head. Authorities said an investigation is underway. These killings are the latest in a growing series of violent attacks against minorities in Bangladesh, particularly Hindus, who make up roughly 7 percent of the population.

On Saturday, a Hindu woman in Jhenaidah district was raped by two men who also demanded money. When she screamed, the attackers tied her to a tree, cut her hair, filmed the assault, and shared the video online. She lost consciousness and was later taken to hospital by local residents. Khokon Chandra Das, a 50-year-old shop owner, was attacked and set on fire while returning home from work. Although he jumped into a pond and extinguished the flames, he later died in hospital on January 3.

Another Hindu man, Bajendra Biswas, was shot dead on December 29 in Mymensingh while working at a garment factory. He was a member of Ansar Bahini, a paramilitary force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and was allegedly killed by a colleague. On December 24, Amrit Mondal, 29, was lynched in Rajbari over alleged extortion, while on December 18, Dipu Chandra Das, also 29, was beaten to death and set on fire over alleged blasphemy in Mymensingh.

The killing of Dipu Das drew international attention to attacks on Hindus during the administration of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. India has voiced strong concern over what it describes as persistent hostility toward minorities in Bangladesh. India’s external affairs ministry said that more than 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities — including killings, arson, and land seizures — have been recorded during the interim government’s tenure, warning that these events cannot be dismissed as exaggerations or political unrest.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from NDTV.