A 28-year-old Hindu man, Ratan Sahuakar, was found dead with multiple injury marks and his hands and legs tied in Bangladesh’s Moulvibazar district on Wednesday morning, a day before the country went to vote. The incident has intensified concerns about the safety of minorities as the country votes for the first time after 2019.
Who Was Ratan Sahuakar?
Sahuakar, who worked in the tea gardens of the Champa area. His body was recovered at around 10 am. According to initial information, deep wounds were visible across his body, and his hands and legs were bound. Blood was reportedly still oozing from the injuries when he was discovered.
Co-workers of Ratan alleged that he was murdered. They pointed to the nature of the injuries and the fact that his limbs were tied as strong indications of foul play.
Bangladeshi Hindus Under Attack: Second Killing in Days Raises Alarm
The killing comes just days after another Hindu man was brutally murdered in Mymensingh district. The victim, 62-year-old Sushen Chandra Sarkar, was a rice trader.
Police said unknown assailants hacked Sarkar with a sharp weapon inside his shop. The attackers then pulled down the shutter and fled after stealing lakhs of rupees from the premises. Sarkar was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Voting Underway in Bangladesh
Ratan Sahuakar was murdered as voting for Bangladesh’s general election began on Thursday and will continue until 4.30 pm. The counting of votes is expected to commence shortly after polling concludes.
The election is being held 18 months after the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government assumed office following the collapse of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year-old regime amid massive nationwide protests.
Yunus, who had pledged an early transfer of power to an elected government, urged political parties, candidates and stakeholders to exercise restraint and uphold democratic norms during the polling process.
Minority Hindu Community In Bangladesh Voices Anxiety
Members of the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh over the last few months have expressed deep anxiety. Many say they feel let down by both major political parties, the Awami League and the BNP. The return of Jamaat to mainstream politics has further unsettled sections of the community.
Meanwhile, the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) and HinduAction hosted a congressional briefing highlighting testimonies from witnesses and activists. Speakers alleged that violence against Hindus in Bangladesh under Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus amounted to coordinated violence.
The briefing took place just a day ahead of the contested February 12 national election. During the event, speakers called on the US Congress and the State Department to publicly condemn the violence, hold hearings on the matter, designate Bangladesh as a Country of Particular Concern, classify Jamaat-e-Islami as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and impose Global Magnitsky sanctions on Muhammad Yunus.
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
