A 43-year-old Hindu man was allegedly stabbed to death in Mymensingh district, Bangladesh, on Tuesday evening, while three homes belonging to a Hindu family were vandalised and looted in a separate incident in Rangpur district on Monday night, local media reported. The twin incidents have intensified concerns over the safety of minority communities in Bangladesh amid what rights observers describe as an escalating pattern of anti-minority violence.

The Mymensingh Stabbing

The deceased, Rabendra Rishi, who owned a salon in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh district, was allegedly stabbed multiple times by a 26-year-old man identified as Saddam after he refused to provide a haircut on credit, according to Bangladeshi Bengali daily Prothom Alo, citing police. Saddam reportedly stormed the salon armed with a sharp knife and stabbed Rishi in the chest and neck.

In a desperate attempt to survive, the injured Rishi fled to a nearby shop owned by the accused's father, but Saddam allegedly pursued him and continued the assault. Rishi then took refuge in the courtyard of a neighbouring house, where the attacker allegedly knocked him down and stabbed him repeatedly until he died from excessive blood loss.

According to the victim's wife, Suchitra, Saddam had a history of extorting money from her husband to fund a drug habit and routinely refused to pay for haircuts. She told reporters that arguments frequently erupted when Rishi demanded payment, and that Saddam had made explicit death threats — including a warning before Durga Puja in which he allegedly said, 'You will receive your husband's body after Puja.'

Following Saddam's arrest, Mohammad Zahidul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Bhaluka Model Police Station, confirmed that a five-day remand had been sought for interrogation and that the body had been handed over to the family after autopsy, as reported by Prothom Alo. 'The accused is behaving crazy,' Islam was quoted as saying.

Hindu Homes Attacked in Rangpur

In a separate incident on Monday night, three homes in Chak Karimpur village of Pirganj upazila in Rangpur district were vandalised and looted, reportedly following a social media post that allegedly offended the religious sentiments of Muslims, local media cited police as saying. The affected houses belonged to three brothers — Bishu Chandra Mohanta, 50, Jagadish Chandra Mohanta, 60, and Dinesh Chandra Mohanta, 46.

Bishu told The Daily Star that attackers damaged his television, furniture, walls and doors, and stole two goats. His brothers Jagadish and Dinesh reported similar damage — broken doors, damaged fences and furniture, and stolen valuables including televisions. Jagadish's wife, Arati Rani, said she fled the house during the attack. 'When the attackers stormed our house, we pleaded with them to stop. But they threatened to kill me,' she said.

Political Response

Bangladesh's Awami League condemned the Rangpur attack, stating that minority communities had faced 'persistent insecurity' in the country since August 2024. The party issued a strongly worded statement: 'Allegations of religious insult must never become a license for mob violence, looting, intimidation or collective punishment. Every accused person deserves due process; every victim deserves equal protection under the law.'

Broader Context

The incidents come amid growing international concern over the treatment of Hindu and other minority communities in Bangladesh. Rights groups have documented a rise in targeted attacks, property destruction, and intimidation since mid-2024. Notably, the recurring use of social media posts as a pretext for mob attacks on minority households has been flagged repeatedly by civil society organisations. These latest incidents are likely to further strain community confidence in state protection mechanisms. Bangladesh authorities have not issued a broader response to either incident at the time of reporting.