A Hindu man named Sumon Kumar Pal was brutally murdered in broad daylight in the Dakshin Khan area of Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Saturday (February 15). The incident occurred at around 12:30 PM when three armed robbers stormed his shop and attacked him during a robbery attempt.
Sumon Kumar Pal, a 40-year-old mobile financial services agent working for bKash, operated from a pharmacy named ‘Bhai Bhai Medical Hall.’ On the fateful afternoon, three assailants entered his shop and began looting cash from the register. Upon confronting the robbers, Pal was mercilessly struck on the head multiple times. He collapsed on the spot. Local witnesses rushed him to Kurmitola General Hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival.
Pal was originally from Bauphal upazila in the Patuakhali district but had been living and working in the Dakshin Khan area for over 20 years, as confirmed by local resident Saiful Islam.
Following the attack, locals managed to apprehend one of the assailants, identified as Karim Mia. He was beaten by an angry crowd before being handed over to the police. Law enforcement later admitted him to a hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, the other two suspects managed to escape.
According to eyewitnesses, an amount between Tk 10,000 and Tk 15,000 was recovered from Mia. However, locals expressed doubt over robbery being the sole motive behind the crime. Speaking to Ajker Patrika, residents alleged, “Sumon Kumar Pal was first hit on the head before the robbery took place. If the intent was only to steal money, they wouldn’t have attacked him with the clear intention to kill.”
Police have launched an investigation into the case, and authorities are attempting to track down the remaining culprits.
Just weeks before this incident, another Hindu man was brutally murdered in Bangladesh. On January 24, 26-year-old Arnab Kumar Sarkar, a master’s student at Khulna University, was shot dead at the Tentultala intersection in Khulna city.
According to reports, Sarkar was drinking tea while sitting on his motorcycle near a local tea stall when a group of unidentified bike-borne assailants approached him. Without any warning, they opened fire, hitting him in the head before fleeing the scene.
Local residents immediately rushed him to City Medical College Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
Shafiqul Islam, Chief of Sonadanga Police Station, confirmed the murder and stated that the police are investigating possible motives behind the attack. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Khulna City Police (southern division) Md Moniruzzaman described the attackers as ‘terrorists’ and assured that an investigation was underway.
Sarkar is survived by his grieving parents.
The murders of Sumon Kumar Pal and Arnab Kumar Sarkar have sparked fear and outrage among Bangladesh’s Hindu community, which has faced an increasing number of violent attacks in recent years. Many activists have called for a thorough investigation and justice for the victims, urging the government to take strict action against rising crimes targeting minorities.
Police are yet to make any arrests in the Khulna murder case, while investigations into Pal’s killing in Dhaka continue.
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