Bangladesh’s Hindu minority is heading into Durga Puja under mounting fear after three Hindus — including a six-year-old girl — were allegedly killed in separate incidents on September 7, just days after a pregnant woman and her four-year-old daughter were found dead in Sylhet. The latest deaths have intensified allegations that radical elements are targeting Hindus under BNP rule led by Tarique Rahman.
On September 7, 2026, Bithi Rani, 6, was found dead in Kurigram after she had been missing for about eight hours.
On that same date, Shilpi Shil was killed in Maheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar.
Also on September 7, Olif Chandra Datta was killed in Mahadebpur, Naogaon.
Three Hindu deaths in one day have deepened an already intense sense of insecurity among members of the community.
And they came only days after another tragedy.
On September 5, 2026, police recovered the hanging bodies of Champa Rani Das, 35, who was pregnant, and her four-year-old daughter, Hridi Das, from their home in Zakiganj, Sylhet.
The sequence has left Hindu families staring toward the approaching Durga Puja with anxiety rather than celebration.
“Radical groups are now targeting Hindu minority people,” a villager from Naogaon said.
A family member of a victim, speaking anonymously, accused the government of failing to provide adequate protection.
“Tarique Rahman-led BNP are not protecting Hindu communities. There is no law and order now in Bangladesh,” the family member said.
Parvez Molla, a Dhaka resident, said: “The situation is getting worse after the collapse of Sheikh Hasina govt.”
The government has repeatedly said Bangladesh belongs to citizens of every faith and that minorities have the same right to security as everyone else.
Rahman has said, in essence, that religion is personal but security belongs to all.
Durga Puja is approaching at a moment when confidence among many Hindus is fragile.
The festival normally transforms Hindu neighbourhoods across Bangladesh. Temples are decorated. Puja committees organise celebrations. Families travel to ancestral homes. Children gather around brightly decorated mandaps.
This year, however, the preparations are unfolding alongside a growing demand for security.
The latest cases have added to a long list of deaths involving members of the Hindu community.
On December 2, 2025, Prantosh Karmakar was killed in Raipura, Narsingdi.
On December 6, 2025, retired head teacher and 1971 Liberation War veteran Yogesh Chandra Ray, 75, and his wife, Suborna Ray, 60, were found brutally murdered inside their home in Taraganj, Rangpur.
On December 12, 2025, Shant Chandra Das was killed in Homna, Cumilla.
On December 18, 2025, Dipu Chandra Das was killed in Bhaluka, Mymensingh.
Dipu’s death became an international flashpoint, drawing protests and widespread condemnation.
On January 6, 2026, Mithun Sarkar died in Naogaon.
On January 23, 2026, 23-year-old Hindu youth Chanchal Chandra Bhowmik was allegedly burned alive while sleeping inside a garage in Narsingdi.
On March 7, 2026, Ganesh Pal was killed in Cox’s Bazar.
On April 24, 2026, Bullet Bairagi was killed in Comilla.
On April 26, 2026, 50-year-old Hindu woman Bithika Sadhu was allegedly murdered in Satkhira, with severe injuries reported to her face and head.
On May 7, 2026, Krishna Rajbanshi was allegedly murdered after being beaten and detained at the Tora Biltu Smriti Haat management office, where police later recovered his body hanging.
On May 22, 2026, Shribas Chandra Saha was brutally murdered in Singair, Manikganj.
On June 3, 2026, Iti Rani, along with her daughters Anuradha and Aradha, were found dead in Barguna.
On June 6, 2026, Shyamal Chandra Mali was killed in Akkelpur, Joypurhat.
On July 4, 2026, Samir Bhatt was killed in Dighalia, Khulna.
On August 15, 2026, day labourer Shankar Chandra Mondal was allegedly murdered in Dhamrai, seven days after he was brutally beaten.
On August 22, 2026, the bodies of four members of a Hindu family — Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife Pritilata Chakraborty, their daughter Agami Chakraborty Prarthi and their young son Priyam Chakraborty — were found after they were brutally murdered in Rangpur.
Members of Bangladesh’s Hindu community say the recent deaths have increased concerns about their security ahead of Durga Puja, the country’s biggest Hindu festival.
They are calling for greater protection at temples and festival venues, along with thorough investigations into deaths involving members of the minority community.
