Beaten And Humiliated, Another Hindu Youth Dies In Bangladesh | World News

As violence against minorities continues to rise across Bangladesh, another Hindu man died after drinking poison over a debt of 500 Bangladeshi Taka in Dirai upazila in Sunamganj district, local media reported.

The victim, identified as 19-year-old Joy Mohapatra, died while receiving treatment at MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital in Sylhet on Friday morning.

Bangladeshi Bengali media outlet Sylhet View 24, citing the deceased’s cousin Ayan Das, reported that Joy bought a mobile phone from grocery store owner Amirul Islam for 5,500 Taka. He paid Taka 2,000 in cash and agreed to pay the balance in weekly installments of Taka 500. Although he made regular payments, the last installment was delayed.

Joy allegedly went to Amirul Islam’s shop to pay the installment on Thursday but was beaten, humiliated and her mobile phone was confiscated.

Ayan said that Joy admitted to consuming poison on Thursday evening. He was rushed to Dirai Upazila Health Complex and when his condition worsened, the doctor on duty referred him to Sylhet.

“I was on duty at that time. Since the patient’s condition was critical, he was immediately transferred to Sylhet,” said Moni Rani Talukder, Medical Officer based at Dirai Upazila Health Complex.

Speaking to Sylhet View 24, Joy’s mother, Shelly Mohapatra, recalled the tragic incident and said: “When they asked for money from him in the morning and could not get it, they took my son’s mobile phone. Then, when they asked for the SIM, they asked him to come in the evening. When they went in the evening, they slapped my son. My son consumed poison in that shop.”

Confirming the incident, Dirai Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Enamul Haque Chowdhury told Sylhet View 24: “We have received information and inspected the scene. If we receive a complaint, legal action will be taken.”

This marks the eighth incident in 22 days and the fourth this week, underscoring a disturbing increase in violence targeting Hindu communities in Bangladesh.

Earlier on Tuesday, another Hindu named Mithun Sarkar, 25, died after jumping into a canal in an attempt to save his life from a gang accusing him of robbery in Mohadevpur upazila in Naogaon district, Bangladesh’s Bengali daily Daily Manobkantha reported.

Two Hindu men were killed in separate incidents within 24 hours in Bangladesh on Monday.

The first victim, identified as 40-year-old Sarat Chakraborty Mani, was fatally attacked with sharp weapons allegedly by an extremist armed religious group in Dhaka’s Narsingdi area on Monday night.

In the second incident, 38-year-old Hindu businessman Rana Pratap Bairagi was shot dead in front of the public in Monirampur Upazila in Jashore district.

Earlier, on January 3, another Hindu, Khokon Chandra Das, died after being brutally attacked by a group of miscreants in Damudya Upazila in Shariatpur district.

Last week, 40-year-old Bajendra Biswas was shot dead by a colleague in Bhaluka Upazila in Mymensingh district.

On December 24 last year, Bangladeshi media reported the murder of another Hindu youth, 29-year-old Amrit Mondal, who was allegedly lynched by a mob in Hossaindanga district of Kalimohar Union in Bangladesh.

Also on December 18 last year, 25-year-old Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das was brutally murdered in his factory in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka Upazila in an incident where a Muslim colleague was lynched over false blasphemy charges.

The mob killed Das and hung his body from a tree before setting it on fire.

Expressing deep concern over the recurring attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh, India on Friday said it continues to monitor the situation in the neighboring country and hopes for a decisive response to such acts of communal violence.