Hindu community leader abducted, killed in Bangladesh

Dhaka: A prominent Hindu community leader was allegedly abducted from his home and beaten to death in Dinajpur district in north Bangladesh, a media report said on Friday.

Body of Bhabesh Chandra Roy, 58, a resident of Basudebpur village of Dinajpur, about 330 kilometres northwest of Dhaka, was recovered on Thursday night, The Daily Star said quoting police and family members.

Roy’s wife Shantana told The Daily Star that he received a phone call around 4:30 pm and claimed the call was made by the perpetrators to confirm his presence at home.

“Approximately 30 minutes later, four men arrived on two motorcycles and allegedly abducted Bhabesh from the premises,” the report said, adding Roy was taken to Narabari village, where he was brutally assaulted.

Roy was unconscious when he was sent back home and family members rushed him to a hospital in Dinajpur. However, he was declared dead upon arrival.

Roy was the vice-president of the Biral unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and a prominent leader of the Hindu community in the area.

The Daily Star quoted Abdus Sabur, officer-in-charge of Biral Police Station, as saying that preparations were underway to file a case.

He said police are working to identify and arrest the suspects involved.

Meanwhile, India on Friday rejected remarks by Bangladeshi officials on violence in West Bengal and asked Dhaka to focus on protecting the rights of its minorities instead of indulging in “virtue signalling”.

“We reject the remarks made by the Bangladesh side with regard to the incidents in West Bengal,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“This is a barely disguised and disingenuous attempt to draw a parallel with India’s concerns over the ongoing persecution of minorities in Bangladesh where the criminal perpetrators of such acts continue to roam free,” he said.