Hindu family of 4 goes missing in Bangladesh's Chandpur amid minority attacks
Synopsis
A Hindu family of four has vanished in Bangladesh's Chandpur city under threatening circumstances — the latest in a string of incidents targeting minorities. Days earlier, a retired Hindu teacher and three family members were murdered in Rangpur. With a UN warning about AQIS activity in Bangladesh already on record, rights groups are pushing back hard against the official narrative that these are isolated crimes.
Key Takeaways
Pintu Das , his wife Rimi , and their two sons Priyam and Rupam have gone missing from Chandpur city, Bangladesh , as confirmed on 26 August .
A member of the Patwari family had allegedly been threatening Pintu Das prior to the disappearance, according to reports.
The incident follows the 20 August murders of retired teacher Ganapati Chakraborty , his wife, daughter, and 12-year-old son in Rangpur city .
Two suspects — Siddhartha Das , 23 , and Mugdha Das , 19 — were arrested for the Rangpur killings; police cited a dispute over yaba drug use as the motive.
Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) has demanded an independent probe, citing shifting police narratives and the victims' minority identity.
The UN Security Council has warned that AQIS is attempting to establish terrorist cells in Bangladesh, per its 38th monitoring report .
Four members of a Hindu family — including two children — have gone missing from Chandpur city in Bangladesh, according to local media reports citing a relative on Wednesday, 26 August. The disappearance adds to a rapidly growing list of incidents targeting religious minorities in the country, drawing fresh alarm from rights groups and observers.
Who Is Missing
The missing individuals are businessman Pintu Das, his wife Rimi Das, elder son Priyam Das, and younger son Rupam Das. The family had been living in a rented house in Chandpur city. The disappearance was confirmed by Upma Dey, a close relative of the family and joint convener of the Chandpur District Hindu Buddhist Christian Students' Unity Council.
According to Dey, Pintu Das had been under financial debt for various reasons. Reports further suggest that a member of a family identified as the Patwari family had allegedly been threatening him prior to the disappearance, as reported by Bangladesh's leading newspaper Dainik Kalbela. The family has not been seen since those threats reportedly surfaced.
Police Response
The officer-in-charge of Chandpur Sadar Model Police Station confirmed the incident, stating: 'We have just learned about the disappearance of four members of his family, including Pintu Das. The matter will be investigated, and necessary steps will be taken to rescue them.' No arrests have been reported in connection with this case so far.
Backdrop: Rangpur Killings and Escalating Violence
The disappearance comes just days after a particularly brutal incident in Rangpur city, where a retired Hindu schoolteacher and three members of his family were murdered. The deceased were identified as retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, 65; his wife Pritilata Chakraborty, 50; their daughter Agami Chakraborty Prarthi, 23; and their son Priyam Chakraborty, 12.
The killings occurred on 20 August, with police recovering the bodies on the night of 22 August. Bangladesh police subsequently arrested two individuals — Siddhartha Das, 23, and Mugdha Das, 19 — both detained from the Dakhiganj cremation ground. Police stated the accused planned and carried out the murders after the retired teacher allegedly tried to prevent them from consuming yaba, a potent methamphetamine-based drug, on the rooftop of the building.
Rights Groups Demand Independent Probe
International human rights organisation Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) strongly condemned the Rangpur killings and called for a fully independent, impartial investigation. JMBF argued that the victims' religious identity, shifting police narratives on motive, doubts raised by the victims' relatives, and questions surrounding broader possible links make an independent probe essential.
JMBF stated that 'in light of the UN's recent warning, the victims' religious minority identity, the changing police narrative, and the serious questions raised by the victims' relatives, it would be equally irresponsible to dismiss possible religious extremist or militant links without proper investigation.'
UN Warning Over Militant Activity in Bangladesh
The rights body's call comes against the backdrop of a recent UN Security Council warning that Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has been attempting to use Bangladesh as a base to establish terrorist cells. The finding appeared in the 38th report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, submitted to the Security Council committee dealing with the Islamic State, Al-Qaida, and associated groups.
JMBF clarified that the UN report does not directly link the Rangpur killings to AQIS or any other militant group, but stressed that the international security warning 'strengthens the need to investigate all possible motives and connections in this case impartially.' The Chandpur disappearance and the Rangpur murders together signal a deepening crisis for Hindu minorities in Bangladesh that is drawing sustained international scrutiny.
Point of View
Both involving Hindu families in Bangladesh, are being officially framed as unrelated crimes of opportunity. That framing may well be correct, but the speed with which authorities have sought to close the loop on motive is itself a problem: the Rangpur police narrative shifted notably between initial and subsequent accounts, a detail JMBF has rightly flagged. Bangladesh's minority crisis is not new — systematic documentation of attacks on Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists has been ongoing for years — but the convergence of a UN warning about AQIS activity and a pattern of violence demands more than routine reassurance. India, which shares a long border and deep cultural ties with Bangladesh's Hindu community, has strong strategic and humanitarian reasons to keep pressure on Dhaka for credible, transparent investigations.
NationPress
26 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the missing Hindu family members from Chandpur, Bangladesh?
The missing individuals are businessman Pintu Das, his wife Rimi Das, and their two sons Priyam Das and Rupam Das. They were reported missing from Chandpur city on 26 August, with a close relative and a local police officer both confirming the disappearance.
What happened to the Hindu family in Rangpur, Bangladesh?
Retired schoolteacher Ganapati Chakraborty, 65, his wife Pritilata, 50, daughter Agami, 23, and son Priyam, 12, were murdered in Rangpur city on 20 August. Their bodies were recovered on 22 August, and two suspects were arrested — police cited a dispute over yaba drug use as the motive.
Why are rights groups calling for an independent investigation into the Rangpur killings?
Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) argues that the victims' religious minority identity, shifting police accounts of the motive, and doubts raised by the family's relatives make an independent probe essential. The group says it would be 'irresponsible' to dismiss possible religious extremist links without a thorough investigation.
What is the UN's warning about Bangladesh and AQIS?
The UN Security Council, in its 38th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, warned that Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has been attempting to use Bangladesh as a base to establish terrorist cells. The report was submitted to the committee overseeing Islamic State, Al-Qaida, and associated groups.
How serious is the situation for Hindu minorities in Bangladesh?
The back-to-back incidents in Chandpur and Rangpur have intensified concerns about minority safety in Bangladesh, which has seen a documented pattern of attacks on Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists. International rights organisations and the UN are now both raising alarms, adding pressure on Dhaka for credible and transparent investigations.
