Hindu journalist shot dead in Bangladesh amid surge in pre-election violence, woman assaulted

Bangladesh has witnessed another killing involving a member of its Hindu minority, deepening concerns over a recent spate of violent incidents targeting the community ahead of the country’s general elections scheduled for February 12. 

A 45-year-old Hindu factory owner and journalist, Rana Pratap Bairagi, was shot in the head in public view on Monday, according to local media reports and journalists. Bairagi was the acting editor of the Narail-based daily BD Khobor and was also associated with a local ice factory business. The attack took place in Narail district, though the precise circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear. 

Police have yet to issue a detailed official statement or announce any arrests in connection with the killing. Local sources have alleged that Bairagi had multiple cases filed against him and was purportedly linked to an extremist group, though these claims have not been independently verified. 

The killing comes amid a series of violent incidents involving members of Bangladesh’s Hindu community in recent weeks, prompting alarm among rights groups and minority leaders as political tensions rise in the run-up to elections. 

On December 31, Khokon Das, a Hindu businessman from Shariatpur district, was attacked by a mob while returning home after closing his medical shop. He was stabbed, beaten and set on fire after being doused with petrol. Das later succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Police have said investigations are ongoing, but no convictions have been reported so far. 

One of the most shocking cases in the recent wave of violence was the lynching of 27-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment factory worker in Bhaluka, Mymensingh district, on the night of December 18. Details surrounding the motive for the attack remain under investigation. 

In another widely reported incident, a Hindu woman in Kaliganj in central Bangladesh alleged that she was gang-raped by two men, tied to a tree and had her hair cut off following a land dispute. The 40-year-old survivor detailed the assault in a police complaint, leading to two arrests and an ongoing investigation, according to Bangladesh Pratidin. 

Concerns have also extended beyond civilian attacks to alleged intimidation of Hindu officials. In Kurigram district, District Administrator Annapurna Debnath was reportedly surrounded and verbally abused by Islamist activists after cancelling the nomination of a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate over unresolved dual citizenship issues, according to Prothom Alo. 

Other incidents reported in recent months include the lynching of Amrit Mondal over alleged extortion claims and the fatal shooting of Bajendra Biswas, a Hindu garment factory worker, in Mymensingh. Earlier, on June 26, 2025, a 27-year-old Hindu woman was allegedly raped inside her home in Muradnagar Upazila of Comilla district.