A 25-year-old Hindu man, Chanchal Bhowmik, was burned to death on Friday night in Narsingdi, Bangladesh. He was asleep in a garage when the fire broke out, authorities said.
Narsingdi Police Superintendent Abdullah Al Faruque told news agency ANI that CCTV footage from the scene indicates suspicious activity.
“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,” he said.
Fire started inside shop
The Narsingdi Police Superintendent further added that the blaze originated inside the shop where Bhowmik was sleeping. The fire service reportedly broke open the shutter to attempt a rescue, but it was too late. Bhowmik’s body was found charred.
“We are still investigating everything, and so far, no one has been arrested,” SP Faruque added.
Authorities are examining whether the fire was caused by an electrical fault or an “external factor.” As of Sunday, no arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh
Incidents targeting Hindu communities in Bangladesh have been on the rise. Following the news of the death of a local youth leader, Osman Hadi, on December 18, a man named Dipu Chandra Das was lynched by a mob, tied to a tree, and set on fire over rumours of blasphemy that later proved false.
In Narsingdi city, a 40-year-old Hindu grocery shop owner was killed after unidentified attackers struck him with a sharp weapon, local media reported.
Another recent case occurred in Naogaon, where a Hindu man, Mithun Sarkar, died after jumping into water to escape a mob accusing him of theft, police said. Naogaon Police Superintendent Mohammad Tariqul Islam confirmed the details in a statement shared with ANI.
The Indian government has also, on multiple occasions, expressed concerns regarding the ongoing persecution of minorities in Bangladesh.
Minority security concerns
Bangladesh continues to face a volatile security environment ahead of national elections scheduled for February 12, 2026. With a ban on the Awami League and rising communal tensions, the safety of religious minorities has become a growing international concern.
Official records reveal that minority communities in Bangladesh faced a significant number of incidents last year amid a challenging law-and-order environment.
According to police data shared by chief advisor Mohammad Yunus earlier this month, 645 such incidents were reported across the country in 2025.
“The findings show that 71 incidents were identified as having communal elements, while 574 incidents were assessed as non-communal in nature,” the Chief Adviser said in a statement posted on X.
