11 Hindus killed in 35 days. Tracking the deadly chronology in Bangladesh

On Monday (January 5), hours after a Hindu newspaper editor, Rana Kanti Bairagi, was shot dead in Bangladesh's Jessore district, reports emerged that another member of the community, Mani Chakraborty, a grocery vendor, had died after being attacked in the Narsingdi district. The two killings by unidentified assailants marked the fifth and sixth murders of Hindus in Bangladesh within a span of just 18 days, since garment factory worker, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched and his body set on fire by Islamist mobs in the Mymensingh district on December 18.

A wider examination of news reports from Indian and Bangladeshi media by India Today Digital shows an even grimmer picture. At least 11 members of the Hindu community have been killed in Bangladesh over a 35-day period, which points to a disturbing pattern of violence in Bangladesh since PM Sheikh Hasina was ousted on August 5, 2024. The 11 victims also include a 1971 Liberation War freedom fighter (Muktijoddha) and his wife, who were found dead at their home in Bangladesh's Rangpur district, both with their throats slit.

HINDUS FACE ATTACKS IN YUNUS-LED BANGLADESH, HIS REGIME REMAINS IN DENIAL

While the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration has repeatedly described the killings of Hindus as "not communal", "exaggerated claims" and mere "exceptions", the numbers tell a different story. They indicate a worrying trend of targeted violence and suggest a continued denial by an interim regime seen as being backed by Islamist forces. After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime, attacks and atrocities on minorities, including Hindus, their places of worship and businesses run by them have been on the rise.

Overall, law and order in Bangladesh has deteriorated sharply under the Yunus regime, extending well beyond targeted attacks on minorities. According to a December 2025 report by Bangladeshi NGO Ain o Salish Kendra, 197 people were killed in mob attacks in 2025 alone, forming part of a total of 293 mob-related deaths since 2024.

The troubling trend in Bangladesh, which is inching towards a crucial election, has also been raised by human rights bodies. The Washington DC–based Hindus for Human Rights group, on December 19, called on the Interim administration of Bangladesh to "urgently set up a Ministry for Minority Affairs and guarantee the safety of minorities".

It was only after the barbaric murder of Dipu Chandra Das - which also drew condemnation from lawmakers abroad - that the Yunus administration appeared to swing into action, offering words and actions of condolence.

While the killings of Hindus in Bangladesh gained wider attention after the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das on December 18, a closer look at the past month tells a far more alarming story. In the 35 days since December 2, 2025, at least 11 Hindus have been killed across the country. Some murders appear to be clear cases of religious hatred, and others under suspicious circumstances, where the nature of the attacks strongly suggests that the victims were targeted with intentions to be killed.

11 BANGLADESHI HINDUS KILLED IN LAST 35 DAYS, INCLUDES 1971 FREEDOM FIGHTER COUPLE

Here, we present all 11 cases of Hindus killed in Bangladesh over the last 35 days that India Today Digital could corroborate through news reports published by Indian and Bangladeshi media outlets. Several other cases have surfaced on social media, documented by various Hindu rights accounts on X, but they have been kept out of this list as the details could not be verified.

December 2, 2025 | Prantosh Kormokar

Prantosh Kormokar, a 42-year-old Hindu gold trader, was shot dead on the night of December 2 in Raipura upazila of Bangladesh' Narsingdi district. Kormokar, who owned a jewellery shop, was allegedly lured out of his home by masked men on the pretext of a business discussion and taken to a nearby school playground, where he was shot in the chest, reported the Dhaka-based daily, The Daily Star. Kormokar was rushed to hospital but was declared dead on arrival. The police then said that the motive and assailants could not be identified.

December 2, 2025 | Utpol Sarkar

Utpol Sarkar, a 35-year-old Hindu fish trader, was brutally killed in the early hours of December 2 in Saltha upazila of Faridpur district. While travelling to a neighbouring market to purchase fish, Sarkar was intercepted by assailants. They blindfolded and tied up Sarkar's van driver before hacking him to death. His bloodied body was later found in an open field. The police said the exact motive was unclear and had not categorised the killing as a case of robbery.

December 7, 2025 | Jogesh Chandra Roy and Suborna Roy

Jogesh Chandra Roy, a 75-year-old 1971 Liberation War veteran (Muktijoddha), and his wife Suborna Roy were found brutally murdered at their home in Rangpur on the morning of December 7. The elderly Hindu couple, who lived alone, had their throats slit. The bodies of the couple were discovered by neighbours after repeated knocks went unanswered. The police estimated that the killings took place around 1 am on December 7. While the motive and perpetrators remained unknown, no case had been filed as of December 8 afternoon.

The couple's two sons, Shoven Chandra Roy and Rajesh Khanna Chandra Roy, serve as officers in different units of the Bangladesh Police, reported the Dhaka-based daily, Prothom Alo.

December 12, 2025 | Shanto Chandra Das

Shanto Chandra Das, an 18-year-old Hindu autorickshaw driver, was found murdered in Cumilla district on December 12, with his throat slit and body dumped in a cornfield, reported the United News of Bangladesh. Shanto, who supported his family through daily driving, had gone missing the previous evening after leaving home with his vehicle, which police said they believed was stolen after the killing.

While investigators linked the murder to robbery, the brutal nature of the crime added to fears among minority families in the region.

December 18, 2025 | Dipu Chandra Das

Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu garment worker in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, was lynched by an Islamist mob after being forced to resign by his factory supervisors, who handed him over to the crowd. The mob beat him to death, hung his body on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, and set it on fire. Das' factory colleagues reportedly joined in the assault. Despite vague allegations of blasphemy, authorities found no evidence, and investigations revealed that the killing was premeditated.

Days later, India strongly condemned the killing of Das, calling the continuing violence against minorities in Bangladesh a matter of serious concern.

"Continuing hostilities against minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists matter of grave concern. We condemn the recent gruesome killing of a Hindu youth in Mymensingh and expect perpetrators to be brought to justice," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

December 24, 2025 | Amrit Mandal

Amrit Mandal, a 30-year-old Hindu man from Rajbari district, was beaten to death by a mob on December 24. He was accused of attempting to collect extortion money from a local resident. The police said Mandal was a notorious local criminal and leader of the "Samrat Bahini". He had multiple cases registered against him and routinely intimidated villagers. While his killing followed the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, Bangladeshi authorities clarified that this incident stemmed from disputes rather than communal motives.

December 29, 2025 | Bajendra Biswas

Bajendra Biswas, a Hindu member of Bangladesh's paramilitary auxiliary force Ansar Bahini, was shot dead by his colleague Noman Mia at a garment factory in Mymensingh district on December 29. Eyewitnesses said the colleague, Mia, jokingly asked, "Shall I shoot?" before firing a shotgun that struck Biswas in the thigh. Police said they were investigating the incident, saying it may have been a prank gone tragically wrong. Later, Biswas was declared dead at Bhaluka Upazila Health Complex, and Mia was arrested.

January 3, 2026 | Khokon Chandra Das

Khokon Chandra Das, a Hindu businessman from Shariatpur district, died of burn injuries sustained in a brutal mob attack on New Year's Eve. On December 31, 2024, while returning home after closing his pharmacy, Das was stopped by assailants near Keurbhanga Bazar. He was stabbed, then doused with petrol, and set on fire. He tried to escape by jumping into a pond, but sustained severe burns on 30% of his body, including his face and respiratory tract. Das died at the Burn Institute in Dhaka after three days of treatment. The police identified two suspects, and said efforts were underway to apprehend them.

January 5, 2026 | Rana Kanti Bairagi

Rana Kanti Bairagi, a 45-year-old newspaper editor and owner of an ice-making factory from the Hindu community was shot dead by unidentified assailants on January 5. Three men on a motorcycle lured him to an alley before opening fire at close range, killing him on the spot with multiple gunshots and slitting his throat. The police said it launched an investigation to identify the perpetrators and was yet to determine the motive behind the killing.

January 5, 2026 | Mani Chakraborty

Mani Chakraborty, a Hindu grocery shop owner from Narsingdi district, was on January 5 attacked by unidentified assailants at his shop. He was critically injured, rushed to a hospital, and pronounced dead either on the way or shortly after arrival. Authorities have launched an investigation, while community members demanded swift arrests and strict punishment for the perpetrators.

While the Yunus administration showed some visible action after the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, the larger question is if the recent killings of Hindus would be investigated with the same urgency and seriousness that the regime displayed in the aftermath of the murder of radical leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

This scepticism is not unfounded. It spotlights the effectiveness, intent and shrinking authority of Bangladesh's law enforcement agencies. A video which went viral from inside a Bangladeshi police station in Habiganj district last week exposes the breakdown of law and order and the stunning impunity with which radical elements operate. In the clip, leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which helped topple Hasina's government in 2024, are seen confronting police officers and demanding the release of another leader. During the confrontation, they brazenly remind the police of how, in August 2024, they set a police station on fire and burned a Hindu police officer alive. The chilling admission on camera was made without fear of consequences, experts said.

It naturally begs the question: What fate awaits the investigations into the killing of Hindus under the Yunus regime? Will they be pursued with resolve, or would they be dressed up as "exceptions" or crimes other than targeted killings and be shoved under the carpet?

- Ends