Hindu tea worker killed as Bangladesh votes in parliamentary elections

Local residents discovered the body in the garden at approximately 10 am on Wednesday and alerted authorities.
Hindu activists protest against killing of Hindus in Bangladesh violence in India.
Hindu activists protest against killing of Hindus in Bangladesh violence in India.File photo | Express
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The body of a young tea garden worker was recovered with his hands and legs tied in Moulvibazar district of northeastern Bangladesh, according to a media report on Thursday, as voting in parliamentary elections is currently underway.

Police recovered the body of 28-year-old Ratan Shuvo Kar from Champara Tea Garden in Kamalganj upazila, around 200 kilometres northeast of Dhaka, on Wednesday.

Local residents discovered the body in the garden at approximately 10 am on Wednesday and alerted authorities. According to locals, the victim’s body bore visible injury marks and was found in a bloodied condition.

Ratan’s elder brother, Laxman Kar, said the family had been searching for him since the previous night.

“This morning, we were informed that his body was lying in the garden. We went there and identified him. We do not know why he was killed,” he said.

Police sent the body to Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital for an autopsy. The officer-in-charge said an investigation is underway to identify those responsible.

The killing follows the fatal attack on 62-year-old Hindu trader Susen Chandra Sarkar on Monday.

Sarkar was hacked to death inside his shop at Bogar Bazar intersection in Trishal upazila of Mymensingh district. Police said unidentified attackers assaulted him with a sharp weapon, left his body inside the shop, and shut the shutters before fleeing.

According to independent monitoring groups, at least 15 targeted killings of Hindu minority individuals have been recorded over a 45-day period, the South Asia Forum for Freedom of Religion or Belief said in a statement on Tuesday.

Last month, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council alleged that communal violence has been rising at an alarming rate as the general election approaches. The council reported 51 incidents of communal violence in December 2025 alone.

According to the 2022 census, Bangladesh is home to approximately 13.1 million Hindus, accounting for about 7.95 per cent of the country’s population.

(With inputs from PTI)

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