Bajendra Biswas, a Hindu man who was shot dead by a colleague in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh was reportedly asked the question “shall I shoot?” before the firing. According to a report, an eyewitness confirmed the murder and detailed what happened moments before.
Forty-year-old Hindu man Bajendra Biswas was shot dead by a colleague in Bhaluka upazila of Bangladesh’s Mymensingh, days after another Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched by a mob over alleged blasphemy in the same district.
The accused, identified as Noman Mia, has been arrested, news agency ANI reported, citing RTV Online. According to the report, both the victim and the accused were members of the Bangladesh Ansar, the largest paramilitary group in the country.
APC Md Azahar Ali, an Ansar member on duty with the Labib Group and an eyewitness to the incident, confirmed it, reportedly telling RTV that at the time of the incident, Noman Mia and Bajendra Das were sitting together in his room. Suddenly, Noman Mia pressed the shotgun against Bajendra Das’s thigh and said, “Shall I shoot?” and then fired. After that, Noman fled the scene. He also stated that he did not see any argument or dispute between them prior to the incident.
The incident reportedly occurred on Monday, December 29, at around 6:30 PM at the Sultana Sweaters Limited factory in the Mehrabari area of the upazila, as quoted by ANI, citing RTV Online.
“The deceased Ansar member Bajendra Biswas was the son of Probitra Biswas of Kadirpur village under Sylhet Sadar upazila. The accused, Noman Mia, is the son of Lutfar Rahman of Baluturi Bazar area under Taherpur Police Station in Sunamganj district,” ANI cited the RTV Online report as saying.
HT.com could not access the said RTV Online report.
Dipu Chandra Das lynching
This fresh reported incident comes days after a Hindu man in his late 20s, Dipu Chandra Das, was killed by an angry mob in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh, sending alarm bells across country borders over the safety of minorities in the country.
The death of Dipu Chandra Das sparked protests in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Agartala, and was also acknowledged and condemned by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of Bangladesh.
Several Hindu organisations also staged demonstrations near Bangladeshi missions and called for steps to ensure the safety of minorities in the neighbouring country over the past week.
