Hindu grocer killed in Bangladesh

A 40-year-old grocery shop owner was brutally killed in Palash upazila of Narsingdi district late Monday night, intensifying concerns over a spate of violent attacks in Bangladesh. The victim, Moni Chakraborty, who ran a long-established grocery store at Charsindur Bazaar, was attacked with sharp, locally made weapons while returning home after closing his shop. He sustained critical injuries and was declared dead on arrival at Palash Upazila Health Complex. Police have sent the body for autopsy and launched an investigation to identify the assailants and determine the motive. The killing triggered protests by local traders, who formed a human chain demanding swift justice, describing Chakraborty as a respected businessman with no known disputes. The incident coincided with another fatal attack on a Hindu businessman in Jessore district the same day, where ice factory owner and local newspaper editor Rana Pratap Bairagi was shot and had his throat slit. These deaths add to a series of recent attacks targeting members of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority, including lynchings, arson and fatal assaults reported across several districts.