Hindu Man Killed in Bangladesh’s Sunamganj

Fresh attacks on minorities raise concern ahead of parliamentary elections

January 10, 2026: Violence against Bangladesh’s Hindu community continued on Thursday with the killing of Joy Mahapatro in Sunamganj district. According to his family, Mahapatro was brutally beaten and poisoned by a local individual, after which he was rushed to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. He later died while undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit. The incident comes just days after another Hindu man, Mithun Sarkar, died while trying to escape a mob, reportedly jumping into a canal in Bhandarpur village. Police recovered Sarkar’s body earlier this week.

The latest killing has intensified concerns over a growing pattern of attacks on religious minorities as Bangladesh prepares for its first parliamentary elections since the 2024 uprising that toppled the Sheikh Hasina government. Human rights observers have warned that the recent incidents reflect more than sporadic violence, pointing instead to a broader failure by the state to ensure the safety of vulnerable communities amid rising political and social tensions.

In a related development, Bangladesh police on Thursday arrested the prime accused in the lynching of Hindu garment worker Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh district. The accused, identified as former teacher Yasin Arafat, is believed to have played a key role in the attack. Dipu Das, 27, was killed on December 18 after being accused of blasphemy, allegedly forced to resign from his workplace, handed over to a mob, beaten to death, hanged from a tree, and set on fire. Investigations are ongoing, with police stating that several of his colleagues were also involved in the assault.