A 25-year-old Hindu man, Chanchal Bhowmik, was tragically killed after being burned in a fire at a garage in Narsingdi on Friday night. CCTV footage suggests the blaze may not have been accidental.
Narsingdi Police Superintendent Abdullah Al Faruque told ANI that while the fire began inside the shop, the footage shows a person of interest moving in the area. “We have collected CCTV footage showing a person moving around. We are investigating whether the fire was caused by an external factor or an electrical fault,” he said.
Authorities said the fire service broke open the shutter to rescue Bhowmik, but he had already succumbed to severe burns. No arrests have been made as of Sunday, and investigations are ongoing.
The incident comes amid a tense security environment in Bangladesh ahead of the national elections scheduled for 12 February 2026. The Awami League has been banned, and rising communal tensions have raised international concern over the safety of religious minorities. Reports from human rights organisations and government agencies indicate a sharp rise in targeted attacks against minorities since the interim government, led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, assumed office in August 2024.
In her first address in India since leaving Bangladesh following violent protests in August 2024, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina denounced Yunus’s administration, claiming the country “has plunged into an age of terror” and that there is “a treacherous plot to barter away the territory and resources of Bangladesh to foreign interests.” She called on citizens to “overthrow the Yunus regime.”
She warned that Bangladesh is “at the edge of an abyss, a nation battered and bleeding, navigating one of the most perilous chapters in its history… Our once serene and fertile land has been reduced to a wounded, blood-soaked landscape.” Her remarks were played as a pre-recorded message at an event in New Delhi.
The Bangladesh Hindu Association and Bengali Hindu Adarsh Sangha organised a demonstration at Parliament Square in London on 22 January to raise international awareness of the ongoing persecution of minorities. The event, supported by INSIGHT UK, drew over 500 participants, including students, professionals, interfaith leaders, and elderly activists.
According to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, communal violence has surged as the 13th National Parliamentary Election approaches. In December alone, at least 51 violent incidents were reported, including murders, thefts, looting, arson, forced occupation of homes and temples, torture, and physical assaults.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has expressed deep concern over Bhowmik’s death, highlighting the broader issue of minority safety in Bangladesh. Independent assessments report over 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities since the interim government took office, including killings, arson, and land grabbing.
The tragedy underscores growing fears over communal safety in Bangladesh as the nation heads towards a critical and highly charged electoral period.
