Hindu man burnt alive in Bangladesh as violence against minorities rises ahead of Feb 12 polls; suspect caught on CCTV
The Statesman | 25 January 2026
A Hindu man was burned alive in Bangladesh’s Narsingdi amid fresh concerns over the rising violence against minorities ahead of the February 12 elections. The victim has been identified as Chanchal Bhowmik, in his early 20s. According to reports, Bhowmik was asleep in a garage when the fire broke out. While local authorities said that they were investigating whether the fire was accidental or the result of any criminal conspiracy, Bhowmik’s family has alleged that it was a premeditated murder.
The incident occurred on Friday night near the Mosque Market area, adjacent to the Narsingdi Police Lines. Citing eyewitnesses and sources, reports claimed that the assailant poured petrol on the garage’s shutter when Bhowmik was asleep and set it on fire.
Narsingdi Police Superintendent Abdullah Al Faruque said that the police have recovered CCTV footage from the area. The footage, he said, shows a suspect moving around the garage.
“We have collected footage from the CCTV cameras and observed that there is a scene showing a person moving around. We are investigating whether the fire was caused by some external factor or by an electrical fault,” Faruque was quoted as saying by ANI.
According to the Police Superintendent, fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and they tried to rescue Bhowmik, but he had already succumbed to his injuries by the time they reached. “We are still investigating everything, and so far, no one has been arrested,” SP Faruque added.
Bhowmik’s death has once again raised serious concerns over the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh. In less than a month, at least eight Hindus have been killed in Bangladesh. The most recent was the murder of Samir Das, an auto driver, who was beaten to death in Daganbhuiyan in Feni district last weekend.
Samir Das’s family claimed that he was beaten to death, even though police claimed it was a “natural death”. This streak started with the brutal murder of Deepu Chandra Das, who was lynched to death, and his body was hung from a tree and set on fire last month.
The incident sparked massive outrage in India, with the Opposition Congress demanding that the government raise the issue with Bangladeshi authorities. India raised the issue and demanded firm action from Bangladesh to stop the violence against minorities.
However, the Bangladeshi interim government dismissed India’s concerns, calling them “exaggerated” and “motivated narratives.”
Meanwhile, intelligence agencies have warned that violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh is likely to rise further ahead of the general elections. Many parties like the Jamaat and those who back it are hoping that their radical vote base would consolidate further if minorities are targeted, a report claimed.
Citing the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM), the report claimed that at least 116 members of minority communities have been killed between June 6, 2025, and January 5, 2026.