Bangladeshi Hindu student Akash Sarkar found dead in Dhaka. Photo: X.
Bangladeshi Hindus Under Attack: Police in old Dhaka recovered the hanging body of a Jagannath University (JnU) student from the Bhatikhana area on Wednesday, 18 January. Preliminary investigations by the police suggest that the death may have been a case of suicide. However, the death came amid escalating violence against Bangladesh Hindus over the last two months, raising suspicion in the police narrative.
The deceased has been identified as Akash Sarkar, a student of the Department of Theatre at Jagannath University. Akash was part of the department’s 10th batch and hailed from Faridpur district.
According to reports, quoting his housemate, the discovery was made after an unexpected phone call. He said, “I was studying for an exam when I received a call from my brother’s girlfriend. After the call, I began knocking on the door. When it eventually opened, I saw Akash hanging and immediately informed the police.”
Nazmul Hasan, an investigation officer at Gandaria Police Station, told the media, “We arrived at the scene around 9:30 pm after receiving the information. The body was recovered in a hanging condition and later sent to Mitford Hospital for an autopsy.”
The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gandaria Police Station, Moniruzzaman Khan, confirmed to Daily Star that the victim’s family members have been informed and stated that further legal procedures are underway.
Amid escalating violence targeting Hindus in Bangladesh, the interim government has released official data attempting to downplay concerns over communal attacks. The figures, shared by Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus, claim that most incidents involving minorities in 2025 were ordinary crimes rather than religiously motivated attacks.
However, this assertion comes as reports of killings, arson, mob violence, and targeted intimidation of Hindus continue to mount in early 2026, highlighting ongoing tensions.
According to Yunus, an official review of police records shared on social media revealed 645 incidents involving minority community members between January and December 2025. Of these, only 71 incidents were classified as communal, while 574 were described as non-communal criminal cases.
The report stated, “While every incident is a matter of concern, the data presents a clear and evidence-based picture: the overwhelming majority of cases were criminal in nature rather than communal, underscoring both the complexity of law-and-order challenges and the importance of grounding public discussion in facts rather than fear or misinformation.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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