Missing Bangladeshi Hindu student found dead in river in Naogaon

The body of a missing college student was recovered from a river in Bangladesh’s Naogaon district on Saturday, local media reported.

The body was found in a river near the Kalitala cremation ground in Naogaon town on Saturday afternoon, according to a report by The Daily Agrajatra Pratidin.

The identity of the deceased could not initially be established. The body was later identified as Abhi, a student in the Management Department at a government college in the district. He was in the fourth year of his Honours degree.

The deceased’s family said that he had gone missing on January 11 after leaving home following an argument. After the body was found, the news spread on social media, prompting Abhi’s family, who had been searching for him for the past seven days, to rush to the riverbank. Family members identified the body by the clothes he was wearing when he left home, the report said.

The cause of death is yet to be determined. Abhi was the son of Ramesh Chandra, a resident of Santahar in Adamdighi upazila of Bogura district.

Naogaon Sadar police station officer-in-charge Niamul Islam said the body has been sent for post-mortem examination. He said the cause of death would be determined after the autopsy report is received, according to The Daily Agrajatra Pratidin.

This comes amid rising violent incidents spanning multiple districts in Bangladesh against minorities. At least 17 people have been killed across Bangladesh in a series of violent attacks. Fourteen cases have been registered, with 21 arrests made, while four cases remain without any arrests, according to compiled case details.

Several deaths involved mob violence and public punishment. Some of the most brutal cases include the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, who was beaten and burned to death in Mymensingh, prompting eight arrests, and Khokon Chandra Das, who died after an earlier assault, with several suspects still at large.

A number of victims were killed in targeted shootings and stabbings. Journalist and businessman Rana Pratap Bairagi was murdered in Jessore, with one arrest made, while Sharat Mani Chakraborty was shot dead near his business in Narsingdi, leading to four arrests. Prantos Karmakar, a jeweller, was shot dead after being lured from his home, and Utpal Sarkar, a fish trader, was hacked to death in Faridpur, with three suspects arrested.

There were also custodial and police-linked deaths, including Proloy Chaki, who died in custody with his family alleging denial of medical care, a claim denied by police.