New Delhi/Dhaka, Apr 19 (UNI) A prominent leader of the Hindu minority community in Bangladesh, Bhabesh Chandra Roy, was abducted and killed in Dinajpur's Biral upazila. India condemned the killing, and said it follows a pattern of “systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government”.
Bhabesh Chandra Roy, 58, vice-president of the Biral unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, was a prominent leader of the Hindu community in the area. He was a resident of Basudebpur village under Shatagram Union. His body was found on Thursday night.
In a strongly-worded statement, India asked the Mohd Yunus-led Interim Government to “live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions”.
In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said:
“We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh.
“This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity.
“We condemn this incident and once again remind the interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions.”
According to the Daily Star, Roy was allegedly abducted from his home and beaten to death on Thursday afternoon, according to police and family members.
Police recovered Bhabesh's body around on Thursday night.
His wife, Shantana Roy, told The Daily Star that Bhabesh was at home in the afternoon when he received a phone call around 4:30pm.
She claimed the call was made by the perpetrators to confirm his presence at home. Approximately 30 minutes later, four men arrived on two motorcycles and allegedly abducted Bhabesh from the premises.
Witnesses reported seeing the men take him to Narabari village, where he was brutally assaulted.
Later that evening, the attackers reportedly sent Bhabesh's unconscious body back to his home in a van. Family members, with the help of locals, rushed him to the Biral Upazila Health Complex. He was later transferred to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, where on-duty doctors declared him dead upon arrival.
Police sent the body to the hospital morgue for an autopsy.
Shantana Roy claimed she recognised two of the assailants.
Abdus Sabur, officer-in-charge of Biral Police Station, said preparations were underway to file a case. He said police are working to identify and arrest the suspects involved.
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