Just days ahead of Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections, a brutal killing in Mymensingh has once again put the spotlight on the country’s worsening law-and-order situation and the growing sense of insecurity among minorities. A 62-year-old Hindu businessman was stabbed to death inside his own shop late on Monday night, police officials confirmed.
The victim has been identified as Sushen Chandra Shekhar, a resident of Southkanda village and a rice trader who ran a business under the name Messrs Bhai Bhai Enterprise at the Bogar Bazar intersection in Trishal Upazila.
According to the police, Shekhar was working inside his shop around 11 pm when unidentified assailants attacked him with sharp weapons. After the assault, the attackers reportedly pulled down the shutter and fled, leaving his body inside the shop.
Trishal Police Station officer-in-charge Muhammad Firoz Hossain said a case has been registered and an investigation is underway to identify and track down those responsible. “We are examining all possible angles. The motive behind the killing is not yet clear,” he said, adding that forensic and local intelligence inputs are being put together to move the probe forward.
A pattern of violence
The killing comes amid growing трев for minority communities as Bangladesh heads into a politically charged election season. Rights groups and community leaders have repeatedly warned of a spike in attacks, particularly targeting Hindus, over the past few months.
In December 2025, Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu factory worker, was lynched following false allegations of blasphemy, an incident that drew international condemnation and renewed scrutiny of Bangladesh’s handling of communal violence after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina–led Awami League government. In another chilling case, businessman Liton Chandra Ghosh (55) was stabbed and then set on fire; he succumbed to his injuries days later.
According to a report by the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG), at least 15 Hindus were killed in a span of just 45 days between early December 2025 and mid-January 2026. Minority advocacy organisations say these are not isolated crimes but part of a broader pattern that includes hundreds of attacks on lives, property, and places of worship.
As political temperatures rise ahead of the polls, the murder of Sushen Chandra Shekhar has added to fears that violence against vulnerable communities is becoming both more frequent and more brazen, raising urgent questions about security, accountability, and the state’s ability to protect its minorities in a volatile election season.
