Bangladesh Hindu car mechanic charred while asleep, family suspect murder

Days ahead of the national elections, Bangladesh’s Mohammad Yunus-led interim administration has come under scrutiny over the safety of the country’s religious minorities after a 23-year-old Hindu man was allegedly burnt to death inside a car-repair shop while sleeping.

The incident happened in Narsingdi town in the country’s Dhaka Division earlier this week.

Victim was family's only earning member

The victim, identified as Chanchal Chandra Bhoumik, had been working in the shop for several years. He hailed from Lakshmipur village in Comilla district and was his family’s middle son and only breadwinner.

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According to eyewitnesses and local sources, the incident, which occurred near the Mosque Market area next to the police lines in Narsingdi, took place late on Friday (January 23) night. The assailants allegedly poured petrol on the closed door of the shop from outside and set it on fire. A video related to the incident emerged later showing an unidentified person igniting the fire, which engulfed the shop in no time.

Body charred beyond recognition

Units from Narsingdi Fire Service later reached the spot after local residents raised an alarm. They brought the blaze under control after an hour’s effort and recovered Chanchal’s body, which had charred beyond recognition by then.

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The victim’s family called the incident a “planned murder” and sought justice with the immediate arrest of the culprits and providing them with the strictest punishment, India Today reported. Tension prevailed in the area, with local Hindus strongly condemning Chanchal’s horrific death. Besides seeking quick identification and the arrest of those responsible for the act, they also urged the administration to ensure that the minority community in the region is given adequate safety.

Cops examining video footage

Abdullah Al Faruque, the police superintendent of Narsingdi, told Asian News International that CCTV footage indicated suspicious activities at the scene. He said they were examining the footage, which showed a person’s movement, and trying to ascertain whether the fire was caused by some external factor or any electrical snag.

The police officer also said the fire service tried to break open the door to save Chanchal, but could not. No arrests had been made till the time this report was written on Sunday (January 25).

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Brutal attacks on minorities in Bangladesh have grown alarmingly of late. Particularly, the lynching of a Hindu garment-factory worker by a mob in Mymensingh in northern Bangladesh over alleged blasphemy after the murder of an anti-India radical student leader in December 2025, triggered hostile sentiments on both sides of the India-Bangladesh border.

Amrit Mondal, described by police as a hardened criminal, was also beaten to death by a mob in the Rajbari district a few days later on charges of extortion. Hindu trader Liton Chandra Das and fuel-station staff member Ripon Saha also met similar fates.

Bangladesh's growing attacks on minorities

Official records have shown that Bangladesh’s minority communities faced a significant number of attacks in 2025.

According to police data shared by Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus earlier in January, 645 such incidents were reported across the country last year. However, he said that most of them were non-communal in nature.

“The findings show that 71 incidents were identified as having communal elements, while 574 incidents were assessed as non-communal in nature,” he said in a statement on X.