Hindu auto-rickshaw driver Samir Das, 28, was beaten and stabbed to death in Bangladesh amid rising attacks on minorities. Police probe case as community fears grow.
Hindu auto-rickshaw driver Samir Das, 28, was beaten and stabbed to death in Bangladesh [Photo: X]
A 28-year-old Hindu auto-rickshaw driver, Samir Das, was beaten and stabbed to death in Daganbhuiyan in Bangladesh's Feni district, police and local media said. The killing on January 11 has alarmed human rights groups and neighbours amid a series of violent incidents targeting the country's Hindu minority. Authorities have launched investigations as the victim's family prepares for legal action.
Samir Kumar Das was a battery-operated auto-rickshaw driver who earned his living transporting passengers around his community in Daganbhuiyan. He was the eldest son of Kartik Kumar Das and Rina Rani Das. Friends and neighbours described him as a hard-working young man supporting his family through his work on the bustling streets of Feni.
Local police said Samir left home on Sunday evening in his auto-rickshaw but never returned. When family members could not find him, they alerted authorities. Early on Monday morning, villagers discovered his blood-soaked body in a field near Muhuri Bari village.
The police said Samir suffered multiple stab wounds and signs of severe assault. After killing him, the attackers stole his battery-operated auto-rickshaw and fled.
Officers from Daganbhuiyan Police Station recovered Samir’s body and sent it to Feni General Hospital morgue for an autopsy. The station’s Officer-in-Charge, Mohammad Fayzul Azim, said police have launched a special operation to identify and arrest the culprits and locate the stolen auto-rickshaw.
Authorities are exploring whether the assault began as a robbery that turned deadly or if other motives were involved. No arrests have been confirmed yet, and the case remains under active investigation.
Samir’s killing is the latest in a disturbing pattern of violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Rights groups, such as the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, have flagged a spike in attacks on minority communities in recent weeks, particularly as political and social tensions rise ahead of national elections scheduled for February.
In recent weeks, multiple Hindu men have also been attacked or killed in different parts of the country amid unrest following the death of a student leader and the ongoing polarisation in the society.
Human rights activists have condemned Samir’s killing and urged authorities to protect minority citizens. They said that incidents like these contribute to fear and insecurity among Hindu families, many of whom already face discrimination and social marginalization. The council has called for urgent government action to curb communal violence and ensure justice for victims and their families.
India has also expressed concern over the rising number of attacks on minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh. Indian officials have urged Dhaka to address communal violence decisively and protect the rights and safety of all religious communities.
Critics say attributing such incidents to personal disputes or political differences without accountability only emboldens perpetrators and deepens fear among minorities. Bangladesh’s interim government has acknowledged the violence but described many such incidents as isolated and not reflective of systemic communal conflict.
