Hindu killings pile up in Bangladesh: Journalist Rana Bairagi shot dead in public

Hindu journalist Rana Pratap Singh was shot dead in Monirampur upazila under Jessore district.

Rana Pratap Bairagi, a Hindu journalist and factory owner, was shot dead in Bangladesh, the latest in a series of violent attacks on the Hindu minority ahead of February elections, raising concerns over minority safety and government response.

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Bangladesh has been rocked by another killing of a member of its Hindu minority. A 45-year-old Hindu factory owner and journalist, Rana Pratap Bairagi, was shot in the head by a group of men in public view on Monday, according to local media and journalists. Bairagi was the acting editor of the Narail-based daily BD Khobor and was also associated with a local ice factory business.

Journalist and Blitz editor Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury said the shooting took place in Monirampur upazila under Jessore district. A separate report by Khoborer Kagoj said the attack occurred around 5:45 pm at Kopalia Bazar, a crowded marketplace. Citing Jessore Additional Superintendent of Police Abul Bashar, the report said unidentified assailants opened fire on Bairagi before fleeing the scene.

#BreakingNews: Another Hindu youth killed in Bangladesh!

A Hindu youth named Rana Pratap Bairagi was shot dead by miscreants in Monirampur upazila under Jessore district in Bangladesh. The incident took place today at noon today. pic.twitter.com/MlewUvcz0i — Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury (@salah_shoaib) January 5, 2026

The circumstances surrounding the killing remain unclear. Police have yet to issue a detailed official statement or announce any arrests. Local sources, however, alleged that Bairagi had multiple cases filed against him and was purportedly linked to an extremist group, claims that have not been independently verified.

Bairagi’s killing is the latest in a disturbing series of violent incidents targeting Bangladesh’s Hindu community in recent weeks. Since December, at least five such attacks have been reported, fuelling fears that minorities are increasingly vulnerable as the country heads into elections scheduled for February 12.

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On December 31, Khokon Das, a Hindu businessman from Shariatpur district, was brutally attacked by a mob while returning home after closing his medical shop. He was stabbed, beaten, doused with petrol and set on fire. Khokon Das later died from his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Police said investigations were underway, but no convictions have been reported so far.

Another case that shocked the country was the lynching of 27 year old Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment factory worker in Bhaluka, Mymensingh district. On December 18, Das was accused of making derogatory remarks about Islam during a factory event. According to police reports and multiple media accounts, a mob beat him, stripped him, hanged him from a tree and set his body on fire. Investigators later said no evidence was found to support the blasphemy allegation that sparked the attack, though arrests were made in the case.

The violence has also included sexual crimes. In Kaliganj, a 40-year-old Hindu widow alleged that she was gangraped by two men following a land dispute. According to her police complaint and reports by Bangladesh Pratidin, the attackers tied her to a tree, cut off her hair and assaulted her. Two arrests were later made, and an investigation is ongoing.

Concerns have extended beyond civilian victims. In Kurigram district, district administrator Annapurna Debnath was allegedly surrounded and verbally abused by Islamist activists after she cancelled the nomination of a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate over unresolved dual citizenship issues, according to Prothom Alo.

The Yunus-led interim administration has failed to protect minorities or send a clear signal that such crimes will be punished. With elections approaching, the repeated targeting of Hindus has raised serious questions about Bangladesh’s commitment to law, order, and minority rights, as well as the credibility of its governance during a politically sensitive period.