Bangladesh: Hindu Businessman Shot Dead
Dhaka: A Hindu businessman, who was also the acting editor of a newspaper, was shot in the head and killed by unidentified assailants in Bangladesh’s Jessore district on Monday, local media reported. The deceased was identified as 38-year-old Rana Pratap Bairagi, a resident of Arua village in Keshabpur upazila of Jessore in Khulna District, Bangla-language newspaper Prothom Alo reported.
According to the daily, Bairagi, who owned an ice-making factory in Kopaliya Bazar in Monirampur, was also the acting editor of a newspaper called ‘Dainik BD Khabar’ published from Narail.
According to bdnews24 news portal, the incident took place at Kapalia Bazaar around 5.45 pm on Monday. Additional Superintendent of Police Abul Basar said.
Referring to locals and police, Prothom Alo said that three miscreants on motorcycles called him from the ice factory and took him to the alley in front of Kapalia Clinic and Diagnostic Center on the west side of Kapalia Bazar.
The miscreants then shot him in the head at close range and fled. According to the newspaper, he died at the scene.
Monirampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. “Bairagi was shot three times in the head and his throat was cut,” Rajiullah Khan was quoted as saying in the diary.
Khan also said that the reason for the murder was unknown.
An investigation has been launched to determine who or what committed the murder.
Police said there were four cases registered against the deceased in two police stations. However, the details of these cases were unknown.
The clash was the latest in a spate of violence against members of the Hindu community.
On January 3, Khokon Chandra Das (50) died after being brutally attacked, hacked and set on fire.
On December 24, another Hindu, Amrit Mondal, was lynched in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari town over allegations of extortion.
On December 18, Dipu Chandra Das (25) was lynched by a mob in Mymensingh city for alleged blasphemy and his body was set on fire.
Unidentified assailants set fire to the house of Qatari expatriate workers Shukh Shil and Anil Shil in Raojan area on the outskirts of Chattogram on December 23, but the residents managed to exit the building unharmed.
