In a shocking incident that underscores the ongoing wave of violence against minorities in Bangladesh, a 45-year-old Hindu man, Rana Pratap, was brutally murdered in the Kopalia Bazar area of Manirampur upazila in Jashore on the evening of December 5. Rana, who was a factory owner and the acting editor of the newspaper BD Khobor, was shot in the head by a group of men before having his throat slit, according to local officials and witnesses.

Monirampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Raziullah Khan said the attack took place around 6 pm. “Rana was shot three times in the head, and his throat was slit. Upon receiving the news, we went to the scene. The body has been recovered and sent for autopsy. We are investigating the perpetrators,” he said. Authorities reported that seven bullet casings were recovered from the scene.

Local residents described the attack as swift and deliberate. Ripon Hossain, a witness, said the assailants arrived on a motorcycle and called Rana out of his ice factory before shooting him multiple times. The attackers then fled immediately.

Rana Pratap, the son of a schoolteacher from Arua village in the neighboring Keshabpur upazila, had been running an ice factory in Kopalia Bazar for the past two years. He also served as acting editor of BD Khobor, a daily published from Narail district. While some local sources alleged that Rana had ties to an extremist group and had multiple cases filed against him, the newspaper’s news editor, Abul Kashem, clarified: “Although there were cases against him at one time, he was acquitted in all of them. I cannot say what led to this murder.”

Political figures and local residents also commented on the circumstances surrounding Pratap’s death. Jahangir Alam, general secretary of the BNP’s Sufalakati Union unit in Keshabpur, claimed that Rana had ties to an extremist group and had been involved in several disputes. “He moved freely in the Kopalia area and did not reside in his own village,” Alam said.

Rana Pratap’s killing comes amid a disturbing wave of attacks targeting minorities in Bangladesh. On December 31, Khokon Chandra Das was assaulted by a mob and set on fire. Although he initially survived by jumping into a pond, he later died from his injuries. Earlier, Dipu Chandra Das was lynched, with his body hung from a tree and then set ablaze. Most recently, on December 3, Khokon Chandra Das in Jhenaidah district was attacked by two men who recorded the assault and circulated the videos on social media, further raising concerns over the safety of minority communities.

These incidents have drawn condemnation from domestic and international observers. India expressed concern over what it described as the “unremitting hostility” faced by minorities in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, stating that it is closely monitoring the situation. The Bangladesh government, meanwhile, reiterated its commitment to protecting minority communities, though critics argue that assurances alone have failed to prevent rising violence.

The murder of Rana Pratap has raised urgent questions about law enforcement effectiveness and the broader measures in place to protect vulnerable communities. Human rights advocates warn that continued attacks on minorities, if left unchecked, could further destabilize the social fabric and damage Bangladesh’s international image.

As investigations continue, the residents of Manirampur remain on edge, fearing that the recent surge in targeted violence may be part of a wider, more alarming trend across the country.

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