Hindu Businessman and Newspaper Editor Shot Dead in Bangladesh’s Jessore

A Hindu businessman and acting newspaper editor was fatally shot by unidentified assailants in Bangladesh’s Jessore district on Monday evening, police and local media said, underscoring rising concerns about the safety of minority communities.

The victim has been identified as Rana Pratap Bairagi (38) , a resident of Arua village in Keshabpur upazila. Bairagi owned an ice-making factory at Kopaliya Bazaar in Monirampur and served as the acting editor of Dainik BD Khabar, published from Narail.

Police said the attack occurred around 5:45 pm at Kapalia Bazaar . Three men on a motorcycle called Bairagi out of his factory and escorted him to an alley near the Kapalia Clinic and Diagnostic Centre, where he was shot at close range. Monirampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Rajiullah Khan said Bairagi was shot three times in the head and his throat was slit , and he died on the spot.

The motive behind the killing remains unknown, and police said an investigation has been launched. Authorities confirmed that four cases were registered against Bairagi across two police stations, but did not disclose details of those cases.

The murder comes amid a series of violent incidents involving members of the Hindu community in recent weeks. On January 3 , Khokon Chandra Das (50) died after being attacked and set on fire by a mob, succumbing to his injuries after three days of treatment. On December 30 , Bajendra Biswas , a Hindu worker, was shot and killed at a garment factory in Mymensingh, and on December 24 , Amrit Mondal was lynched in Rajbari’s Pangsha upazila over alleged extortion. Earlier, on December 18 , Dipu Chandra Das (25) was mob-lynched and his body set ablaze in Mymensingh over alleged blasphemy.

Reports indicate that several Hindus were killed across Bangladesh during December, with some civil society estimates suggesting that around a dozen Hindu citizens lost their lives in violence during the first half of the month , although no official tally has been released.

Bangladeshi authorities have not publicly confirmed that these killings are motivated by religion, and some official statements characterize the incidents as isolated or related to other disputes. Rights groups, however, say the pattern reflects growing insecurity for minorities.

As investigations continue into Bairagi’s murder and other cases, rights advocates are calling for transparent inquiries and stronger protections for minority communities in Bangladesh.