Prominent Hindu Leader Kidnapped From Home, Beaten to Death in Bangladesh’s Dinajpur

Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu community leader in north Bangladesh, was allegedly abducted from his home and fatally assaulted in Dinajpur district on Thursday.

The body of 58-year-old Bhabesh Chandra Roy was discovered in Dinajpur’s Basudebpur village, about 330 km from Dhaka, late Thursday night. He was reportedly abducted in broad daylight by unidentified men on motorcycles, taken to a nearby village, and brutally beaten before being returned in an unconscious state.

Family members rushed Roy to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Roy was a vice-president of the Biral unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and a known figure within the local Hindu community.

According to Roy’s wife, Shantana, he received a suspicious phone call around 4:30 pm. Within half an hour, four men arrived at their home and forcibly took him away.

“He was taken to Narabari village and assaulted. He was barely conscious when they brought him back,” she told The Daily Star.

Abdus Sabur, Officer-in-Charge of Biral Police Station, confirmed that preparations are underway to file a formal case.

“We are treating this as a serious criminal incident and are working to identify and apprehend those responsible,” he told The Daily Star.

Meanwhile, tensions escalated diplomatically as India rejected recent remarks by Bangladeshi officials on incidents in West Bengal. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said Dhaka should focus on safeguarding its minority communities.

“We reject the remarks made by the Bangladesh side regarding incidents in West Bengal,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday.

“This is a barely disguised and disingenuous attempt to draw a parallel with India’s concerns over the ongoing persecution of minorities in Bangladesh,” he added.

The murder of Bhabesh Roy highlights persistent concerns over the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh. Human rights groups have often raised alarms about rising violence against Hindus in the country, especially during festival seasons or in rural areas where protection mechanisms are weak.

Bangladesh has witnessed several targeted attacks against minority leaders, temples, and community gatherings in recent years.

With an official complaint expected to be filed soon, police say they are pursuing all leads to ensure swift arrests. The incident has sparked outrage among local Hindu groups and is likely to increase diplomatic scrutiny from India.