Tragic Shooting of Hindu Businessman in Bangladesh Raises Alarms
Fatal Attack on a Businessman in Jessore
Dhaka: A tragic incident unfolded in Jessore district, Bangladesh, where a Hindu businessman and acting editor of a local newspaper was shot dead by unknown assailants on Monday, as reported by local news outlets.
The victim, identified as 38-year-old Rana Pratap Bairagi, resided in Arua village within the Keshabpur upazila of Jessore, according to the Bangla-language daily Prothom Alo.
Bairagi owned an ice factory located in Kopaliya Bazar in Monirampur and served as the acting editor for 'Dainik BD Khabar', a publication based in Narail.
The shooting occurred around 5:45 PM at Kapalia Bazaar, as stated by Additional Police Superintendent Abul Basar, according to bdnews24.
Witnesses and police reports indicate that three individuals on a motorcycle summoned Bairagi from his factory and led him to an alley near Kapalia Clinic and Diagnostic Centre, where they shot him in the head at close range before fleeing the scene.
According to Monirampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Rajiullah Khan, Bairagi sustained three gunshot wounds to the head and had his throat cut.
The motive behind this brutal murder remains unclear, and authorities have initiated an investigation to uncover the circumstances surrounding the crime.
Police revealed that Bairagi had four cases registered against him across two police stations, although specific details about these cases have not been disclosed.
This incident adds to a troubling trend of violence targeting members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh.
Earlier this year, on January 3, Khokon Chandra Das, aged 50, was killed after being viciously attacked and set ablaze.
In December, another Hindu individual, Amrit Mondal, was lynched in Rajbari town over alleged extortion, while Dipu Chandra Das, 25, was killed by a mob in Mymensingh city over accusations of blasphemy.
Additionally, on December 23, unidentified individuals attempted to set fire to the home of expatriate workers Shukh Shil and Anil Shil in the Raojan area near Chattogram, but fortunately, the residents escaped unharmed.