11 Hindus killed in 35 days: Understanding the disturbing pattern Bangladesh claims does not exist

(FILES) A member of the Hindu Hitarakshana Vedike holds a placard during a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on December 4, 2024, against the violence on Hindu minority community in Bangladesh. (Photo by Idrees MOHAMMED / AFP)

Bangladesh has seen a surge in violence against Hindus, with at least 11 killed in brutal attacks over 35 days. Despite official denials, the pattern has sparked fear among minorities and raised concerns about law and order ahead of upcoming elections.

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Bangladesh is witnessing a grim and accelerating pattern of violence against its Hindu minority, one that is becoming harder to dismiss as coincidence or isolated crime. In just over a month, at least 11 Hindus have been killed across the country, many in brutal circumstances, pointing to a collapse of minority security and a dangerous erosion of law and order.

These killings have taken place over a 35-day period, largely after the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus.

Despite repeated assurances, the Yunus-led administration has continued to describe the killings of Hindus as “not communal,” “exaggerated claims,” or rare “exceptions.” The numbers, however, suggest otherwise. They reveal a steady drumbeat of deaths, lynchings, shootings, and mob attacks that has created widespread fear among minorities and raised serious questions about state capacity and intent.

January 5, 2026: Two killings in one day

On January 5, hours after Hindu newspaper editor Rana Kanti Bairagi was shot dead in Jessore district, reports emerged that Mani Chakraborty, a Hindu grocery vendor, had died after being attacked in Narsingdi district near Dhaka. Both were killed by unidentified assailants.

Bairagi, who also owned an ice factory and served as acting editor of Dainik BD Khobor, was lured into an alley and shot at close range. Mani Chakraborty was attacked at his shop and succumbed to his injuries while being taken to hospital. These killings marked the fifth and sixth murders of Hindus in just 18 days.

January 3, 2026: Burned alive by a mob

Khokon Chandra Das, a Hindu businessman from Shariatpur district, died of burn injuries on January 3 after being attacked by a mob on New Year’s Eve. He was stabbed, doused with petrol, and set on fire. He attempted to escape by jumping into a pond but suffered severe burns and died days later in Dhaka.

December 29, 2025: Shot by a colleague

Bajendra Biswas, a Hindu member of the Ansar Bahini, was shot dead at a garment factory in Mymensingh district by a colleague during what police initially described as a possible prank gone wrong. The shooter was arrested, but the killing added to growing anxiety among minority communities.

December 24, 2025: Lynched by a mob

Amrit Mandal was beaten to death by a mob in Rajbari district after being accused of extortion. Authorities claimed the killing had no communal angle, but it came days after another lynching and further deepened minority fears.

December 18, 2025: Lynching that shocked the world

The lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a 27 year old Hindu garment worker in Mymensingh, marked a turning point. Das was beaten to death by an Islamist mob, his body hung from a highway and set on fire. Despite vague allegations of blasphemy, investigators later found the killing was premeditated.

India condemned the killing strongly. “Continuing hostilities against minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists matter of grave concern. We condemn the recent gruesome killing of a Hindu youth in Mymensingh and expect perpetrators to be brought to justice,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

Earlier killings paint the same picture

The violence did not begin in mid December. On December 12, Shanto Chandra Das, an 18 year old Hindu autorickshaw driver, was found murdered with his throat slit in Cumilla. On December 7, a 1971 Liberation War veteran, Jogesh Chandra Roy, and his wife Suborna Roy were found dead in Rangpur with their throats slit inside their home.

On December 2 alone, two Hindus were killed. Prantosh Kormokar, a gold trader, was shot dead in Narsingdi, while Utpol Sarkar was hacked to death in Faridpur.

Law and order collapse and official denial

Beyond minority killings, law and order in Bangladesh has deteriorated sharply. A December 2025 report by Ain o Salish Kendra documented 197 mob killings in 2025 alone and 293 since 2024. Human rights groups have sounded the alarm. The Washington DC-based Hindus for Human Rights group urged Dhaka to set up a Ministry for Minority Affairs and guarantee minority safety.

Yet the Yunus administration has largely remained in denial. Only after the murder of Dipu Chandra Das drew international outrage did the interim government offer visible gestures of condolence.

A viral video from a police station in Habiganj district has further exposed the breakdown. Leaders of the Anti Discrimination Student Movement were seen confronting police officers and boasting on camera about burning a police station and killing a Hindu officer during the 2024 unrest, without fear of consequences.

A question Bangladesh cannot evade

The pattern is unmistakable. Repeated killings, mob violence, and public intimidation are occurring in an atmosphere of impunity. As Bangladesh inches toward elections, the central question remains unanswered. Will the killings of Hindus be investigated with seriousness and resolve, or will they continue to be dismissed as “exceptions” and quietly buried under bureaucratic excuses. The answer will define not only minority safety but also the moral credibility of the Bangladeshi state itself.