Hindu Trader Killed in Bangladesh Ahead of Elections Amid Widespread Unrest

Dhaka:A Hindu trader was stabbed to death inside his shop in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district on Monday, just two days ahead of the country’s elections, police said. The deceased has been identified as Susen Chandra Sarkar, a 62-year-old rice merchant. According to sources, he was brutally lynched before being stabbed to death on late Monday night. The miscreants also looted a few hundred thousand takas from the cash vault of his shop before fleeing the spot. The incident reportedly took place around 11:00 pm. According to reports, Sarkar was inside his shop when a group of unidentified men attacked him. After killing him, they allegedly pulled down the shutter, left the body inside his shop, and fled the spot. This comes hardly a month after another Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was also lynched and burnt in Mymensingh. was a rice trader and a resident of Dakshinkanda village. He owned "Bhai Bhai Enterprise" at the intersection of the Bogar Bazar in the sub-district. Bangladesh has seen multiple instances of unrests in the last few months leading upto the elections. The killings, and protests came after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, who died on December 18. Hadi was a key leader in the protests against Sheikh Hasina. Known for his anti-India rhetoric, Hadi was a spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha platform, and a candidate in the general elections who was shot in the head while launching his election campaign in Dhaka. His death had triggered a huge furore in Bangladesh, leading to protests in which several buildings in Dhaka, including those housing the country's two leading media houses, were set on fire. Immediately after his death, Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment factory worker, was lynched later killed after being set on fire over allegations of blasphemy. Another Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, was reportedly lynched over charges of extortion on December 24. Khokon Chandra Das, a 50-year-old man was also attacked, and set on fire while returning home after closing his shop on the night of December 31. He died in a hospital three days later on January 3. Over the next few weeks, a spate of Hindu killings continued amid the unrest triggered by Hadi's death. According to the 2022 census, the Hindu population in Bangladesh is approximately 13.13 million, which accounts for about 7.95% of the country's total population.