Dhaka’s streets are turning deadly for minorities amid rising tensions. In a shocking incident in Rajbari district, 30-year-old Ripon Saha, a worker at Karim Filling Station near Golonda Mor, lost his life after being deliberately run over by a car. The altercation began over unpaid fuel, escalating into a fatal attack that has ignited outrage across communities.
Eyewitnesses recount a black Land Cruiser pulling up Friday morning for 5,000 taka worth of petrol. When Saha demanded payment, the driver refused, leading to a confrontation. In a brazen act, the vehicle accelerated, crushing Saha under its wheels before fleeing. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police swiftly responded, confirming the murder. Rajbari Sadar station chief Khondkar Jiyaur Rahman revealed the car’s owner, Abul Hashem, former treasurer of BNP’s Rajbari unit, was arrested from his home. Driver Kamal Hossain was also detained from Banibah Nijpara village. ‘This was no accident,’ Rahman stated, vowing a homicide charge.
The filling station staff described the horror: Saha stood firm to stop the vehicle, only to be mowed down mercilessly. This marks the tenth such killing targeting Hindus in Bangladesh this month, highlighting a disturbing surge in communal violence since the interim government under Muhammad Yunus took over.
Earlier this week in Feni’s Dagannbhuiyan, another Hindu was stabbed to death. Monday saw auto-rickshaw driver Samir Das, 27, found murdered in a Jagatpur field. India voiced deep concern on January 9, urging Dhaka to curb these attacks. Global human rights groups echo the alarm as minorities face unprecedented threats.