Rising Tension in Bangladesh After Hindu Worker Killed by Colleague in Third Attack This Month

In Shorts

• A Hindu security guard was shot dead by a colleague inside a garment factory in Mymensingh district in Bangladesh.
• The victim, identified as Bajendra Biswas, was on duty when a government-issued shotgun discharged.
• This incident is the third killing of a Hindu person in Bangladesh within the past two weeks, increasing concerns over minority safety.

A shocking episode in Bangladesh has drawn new attention to concerns about minority safety after a Hindu security guard was shot dead by a colleague inside a garment factory on Monday evening. The victim, 42-year-old Bajendra Biswas, was serving at the Sultana Sweaters Limited unit in Bhaluka upazila of the Mymensingh district when the weapon accidentally discharged.

According to police and eyewitness accounts, both Biswas and his colleague, 29-year-old Noman Mia, were on security duty and stationed in a common barracks within the factory premises when the incident took place around 6.45 pm. During a routine interaction, Mia allegedly pointed a government-issued shotgun toward Biswas in what was initially perceived as a casual act. The firearm went off, hitting Biswas in the left thigh.

Colleagues rushed the injured man to the Bhaluka Upazila Health Complex, but he was declared dead by doctors on arrival. Local authorities quickly arrested Mia at the scene and confiscated the weapon as part of ongoing legal procedures. Police have launched a thorough probe to determine the exact circumstances and whether negligence or other factors were involved.

The killing comes amid a series of troubling events targeting members of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority. In the past fortnight, two other Hindu men were killed in separate violent incidents. On December 24, a Hindu man named Amrit Mondal was beaten to death by a mob in Rajbari district amid allegations linked to extortion. Earlier in the month, another Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, was attacked and killed by a crowd in Mymensingh over unverified claims of blasphemy.

These successive deaths have sparked concern both within Bangladesh and internationally over communal relations and the safety of minorities. Advocates and rights groups are calling for enhanced protection measures and an unbiased investigation into the spate of violence, as authorities work to calm local tensions and reassure affected communities.