In yet another attack targeting a Hindu individual in Bangladesh, an ice factory owner was publicly shot dead in the Monirampur area of Jessore, according to a report by Prothom Alo. Local media identified the victim as Rana Pratap Bairagi, who owned an ice manufacturing unit in Kapalia Bazar, Monirampur. He also served as the acting editor of the newspaper Dainik BD Khobor, published from Narail.

According to reports, three assailants arrived on a motorcycle, called Bairagi out of his factory, led him into a nearby alley, and shot him in the head at close range before fleeing the scene. He died instantly. Monirampur Police Station officer-in-charge Md Raziullah Khan told Prothom Alo that the body had been recovered and was being sent for post-mortem examination. Police have not yet disclosed the motive behind the killing, and an investigation is currently underway.

The incident comes amid growing concerns over attacks and rising insecurity faced by minority communities in the country in recent weeks. In another tragic case that recently drew national attention, Khokon Das, a Hindu man, succumbed to severe burn injuries after being set on fire on New Year’s Eve. The attackers reportedly assaulted him with sharp weapons, doused him with petrol, and ignited him. In a desperate attempt to survive, Das jumped into a nearby pond. Local residents, alerted by his screams, rushed to the scene, causing the attackers to flee. Das was first taken to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital and later transferred to Dhaka as his condition worsened, but he ultimately died from his injuries.

Following the incident, Bangladesh’s elite force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), arrested the three main suspects. India’s Ministry of External Affairs expressed serious concern over the killing of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh, linking it to broader issues of minority safety and the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the country. The MEA also noted that independent reports have recorded over 2,900 incidents of violence against minority communities during the tenure of Bangladesh’s interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, including cases involving murder, arson, and illegal land seizures.