The attacks on the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh continue as another Hindu businessman, Sharath Chakraborty Mani (40), was brutally murdered with sharp weapons. This incident occurred on the night of Monday, January 5, 2026, marking the 6th killing of a Hindu individual in Bangladesh within just 18 days.
Details of the Incident
* Deceased: Sharath Chakraborty Mani (Age 40), owner of a grocery store.
* Location: Charsindur Bazar in Palash Upazila of Narsingdi District (near Dhaka).
* Incident: On Monday night between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM, while he was closing his shop to go home or while he was still inside, unknown miscreants attacked him with sharp weapons. He succumbed to his injuries while being rushed to the hospital.
* Family: Survived by his wife, Antara Mukherjee (homemaker), and a 12-year-old son, Abhik Chakraborty. Sharath had previously worked in South Korea and returned to Bangladesh a few years ago.
* Background: According to locals and witnesses, Sharath was a peace-loving social worker with no known enmities. However, on December 19, he had expressed concern about the violence in Bangladesh on Facebook, writing: "So much fire, so much violence... my motherland has become a valley of death."
Allegations and Suspicions
* Allegation by Bappaditya Basu: Assistant Organizing Secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (and a friend of the deceased), Bappaditya Basu, alleged that extremists had demanded a large sum of money from Sharath two days before the murder. They reportedly threatened him, saying, "If you want to stay in Bangladesh as a Hindu, you must pay the Jizya tax." They also warned him that his wife would be kidnapped if he complained to the police.
* Locals: Residents claim he had no personal enemies and believe he was targeted solely because of his Hindu identity.
* Police: Authorities stated that the motive for the murder is not yet clear and an investigation is underway. No arrests have been reported so far.
Two Murders in a Single Day
Just hours before Sharath's murder, a Hindu journalist named Rana Pratap Bairagi (38) was shot and his throat slit in Manirampur, Jashore district. This marks the second killing of a Hindu individual within a 24-hour period.
Recent Killings (Past 18 Days)
These murders are part of a series of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh:
* Deepu Chandra Das (December 18)
* Amrita Mandal (December 24)
* Bijendra Biswas (December 29)
* Khokan Das (January 3)
* Rana Pratap Bairagi (January 5)
* Sharath Chakraborty Mani (January 5)
These incidents have raised serious concerns regarding the safety of minorities in Bangladesh. Allegations have been leveled against the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus for failing to provide protection. Hindu organizations and international human rights groups are demanding an immediate investigation and better security measures.
