DHAKA: A 50-year-old Hindu jeweller, Niranjan Chandra Sutradhar, was found dead inside a plastic drum floating near a sluice gate in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district, with police suspecting that he was killed before his body was dumped in the water. Investigators are yet to officially identify those responsible for the death. The latest violence and inhuman crime against a minority Hindu, reflects growing targeted attacks against the minorty Hindu community by the radical Islamic elements. It also raises concern over the dwindling safety of the Hindus in Bangladesh, with no concrete action from the government.
Body recovered from floating drum
The body of Niranjan Chandra Sutradhar was recovered after locals spotted a plastic drum floating in the water near a sluice gate in the Begunbari area of Mymensingh and alerted the police, according to reports by Bangladeshi newspaper Dainik Ittefaq. Niranjan, who jointly operated a jewellery shop in the Atharbari Building area of Mymensingh, was reportedly living with his wife and son in a rented house in the Stadium area.
Police said the circumstances surrounding the disposal of the body raised suspicion that Niranjan had been murdered before his body was placed inside the drum and dumped in the water.
Token helped police identify the victim
A token issued by the Mymensingh Hindu Cooperative Credit Union Limited was reportedly found in the pocket of Niranjan’s trousers.
Kotwali Model Police Station Sub-Inspector Ruhul Amin told that police followed the lead and contacted the cooperative. Representatives examined the token and provided information that helped investigators establish the identity of the deceased. Niranjan’s wife, Sumita Rani Sutradhar, and his son, Joy Sutradhar, subsequently identified the body.
Hindu jeweller had been missing since September 20
According to local media reports, Niranjan left his home on September 20 and remained missing. A nephew reportedly saw him in the Stadium area on September 21. Police said that Niranjan had previously stayed away from home for three or four days before returning. Because of this past pattern, his family initially expected him to come back and did not file a complaint at the police station after he went missing.
Injury marks found on the body
Muhammad Shibirul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Model Police Station, told that investigators found marks on the deceased’s head and chest that appeared consistent with injuries caused by a sharp weapon. Based on the injuries and the manner in which the body was disposed of, police suspect that Niranjan was killed before being placed inside the plastic drum.
The incident comes amid spiking ongoing concerns over the security of minority communities in Bangladesh. Hindu lives are hanging in doldrums since the Awami League government was dismantled in August 2024 and the interim government under Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus took charge. Post the national elections, the BNP-led government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is in the power, yet it is repeatedly failing to protect minorities and there has been continuing attacks on temples, Hindu homes and members of minority communities.
