On 6 January 2025, assailants killed a small Hindu businessman in another incident of Hindu persecution in Bangladesh. Locals found the body of Sudev Halder, a 28-year-old resident of Betora Village in Sadar Upazila, stabbed to death in the Rampur Jorapol area of Nabagram Union of Sadar Upazila. He worked as a mobile phone shopkeeper in the local Baukathi market.
Police reported in their initial investigation that attackers stabbed Sudev indiscriminately while he was returning home after closing his shop. Locals and his family discovered his body the next morning in a crop field just one kilometre away from his house. After registering the case, police began the investigation and revealed that Sudev suffered multiple stab wounds, including deep cuts on his head and neck.
Jhalakathi Superintendent of Police Ujjwal Kumar Roy said, “We found a blow to the head and believe this to be a murder. We will send the body to Jhalakathi Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy, and a murder case will be filed in this regard.”
Subodh Halder, the deceased’s father, said, “My son had no enemies. I can’t understand who killed him or why. I want the police to uncover the truth and ensure justice for the killers.”
The persistent persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, which has worsened since the fall of the Hasina government, has raised concerns about the community’s future. The murder of Sudev, a Hindu mobile phone shop owner, has further highlighted issues with law and order under the Yunus regime.
Bangabandhu Prakasholi Parishad Secretary Sushanta Dasgupta said, “Killings occur every day in Bangladesh. After investigating, we found that Sudev had no personal enmity with anyone. We believe he was killed solely because he was Hindu. This murder sends a message that Bangladesh does not belong to Hindus. He was killed to intimidate Hindus into leaving the country.”
The deceased’s family explained that Sudev lived in Kolkata with relatives during his childhood. He returned to Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic to open his own business. The family also claimed that Sudev had no enemies and suggested that an argument over mobile repair at his shop might have led to the attack.
Since the upheaval in Bangladesh, perpetrators have regularly targeted minorities, especially Hindus. Attacks on Hindu temples, businesses, and government officials have become a serious matter of concern.
Reports revealed that attackers carried out 205 attacks on Hindu temples, shops, and businesses within three days after the fall of Dhaka. Muslim students have forced 60 Hindu teachers, professors, and government officials to resign from their positions. Human rights activist and exiled Bangladeshi blogger Asad Noor recently revealed that perpetrators are coercing the minority community into joining ‘Jamaat-e-Islami.’
Also Read: Dear Bangladeshi Advisers, Read History, Learn, Don’t be an Embarrassment!
Radical ideologies promoted by Jamaat-e-Islami have deeply corrupted Bangladeshi society. This trend of radicalisation will continue to harm the nation for a long time. Bangladeshi citizens must recognise this issue and take action to end the madness of radicalisation in their country.
