Dhaka, January 18 – Violence against minorities in Bangladesh shows no signs of abating ahead of crucial elections. In a shocking incident in Gazipur district, 55-year-old Hindu shopkeeper Liton Chandra Ghosh, popularly known as Kali, was brutally beaten to death with a spade. The attack has ignited fury among local communities, highlighting a disturbing pattern of targeted assaults.
Ghosh owned Baishakhi Sweetmeat and Hotel on Baranagar Road. The tragedy unfolded on Saturday morning around 11 AM when 28-year-old Masum Mia entered the shop and got into a verbal spat with 17-year-old staffer Ananta Das over a trivial matter. What began as an argument quickly escalated into a physical brawl.
Masum’s parents, Mohammad Swapna Mia (55) and Majida Khatun (45), rushed to the scene and joined the fray, turning it into a vicious group assault on the hotel staff. In a desperate bid to protect his young employee and de-escalate the situation, Ghosh intervened. That’s when he was struck fatally on the head with a spade, collapsing dead on the spot.
Onlookers swiftly apprehended the trio – Masum Mia, Swapna Mia, and Majida Khatun – and handed them over to the police. KaliGanj Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge, Mohammad Zakir Hossain, confirmed the arrests. ‘The three suspects are in custody, and legal proceedings for murder have been initiated. Further investigations are underway to uncover all details,’ he stated.
This killing comes just a day after another Hindu man, Ripon Saha, was run over by a car at a petrol pump in the same area while demanding fuel payment. Saha had tried to stop the vehicle from leaving without settling the bill. The back-to-back incidents have amplified fears of systematic attacks on Hindus, raising serious questions about minority safety in Bangladesh as elections loom. Community leaders are demanding swift justice and heightened security measures to prevent further bloodshed.