Hindu shop owner beaten to death in Bangladesh while protecting teen employee

Dhaka: A Hindu man was beaten to death in Bangladesh’s Gazipur district after he tried to protect a teenage employee from an assault, local media reported, citing police officials.

The incident has triggered anger in the local community and comes amid renewed concern over attacks on Hindu minorities in the country.

The victim, identified as 55-year-old Liton Chandra Ghosh, also known as Kali, owned a sweetshop named Baishakhi Sweetmeat and Hotel located on Baranagar Road, where the incident took place, according to leading Bangladeshi daily The Daily Star.

Ghosh was present at the shop when a dispute erupted on Saturday morning.

As per police officials and eyewitnesses, the incident began around 11 am when a 28-year-old man, Masum Mia, entered the sweetshop and got into a verbal altercation over a minor issue with a 17-year-old shop employee, Ananta Das.

What started as an argument quickly escalated into a physical confrontation, media reports said.

Soon after the fight broke out, Masum Mia’s parents, Mohammad Swapan Mia, 55, and Majeda Khatun, 45, reached the spot and allegedly joined in the assault.

The situation further deteriorated as the three allegedly attacked those present at the shop.

Liton Ghosh intervened in an attempt to protect Ananta Das and calm the situation. However, he was also assaulted during the clash.

According to reports, he was struck on the head with a shovel, sustaining critical injuries and dying on the spot.

Residents rushed to the scene after the attack, detained Masum Mia along with his parents, Swapan Mia and Majeda Khatun, and later handed them over to the police.

Kaliganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Zakir Hossain confirmed the incident to The Daily Star and said that the three suspects have been taken into custody.

He added that legal proceedings were underway in connection with the murder and that further investigation was being carried out to ascertain all details related to the incident.

The killing of Liton Ghosh has sparked widespread anger among members of the local community, especially as it comes just a day after another Hindu man was killed in Bangladesh.

On Friday, Ripon Saha, who worked at a fuel station, was crushed to death by a car while trying to stop the vehicle from leaving the petrol pump without paying for fuel.

The car allegedly ran over him before fleeing the scene.

Both incidents have heightened concerns, with the latest killing being seen as part of a broader pattern of attacks targeting Hindu minorities in the country.

IANS