A Hindu garment worker was shot and killed by a co-worker while both were on security duty at a factory in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district. This is the third killing reported in the area in the past two weeks. The victim has been identified as Bajendra Biswas (42). He was an Ansar member posted at the factory. Police said the accused, Noman Mia (29), was also serving as an Ansar member at the same location.
What is the Ansar force?
The Ansar is a uniformed auxiliary force under Bangladesh’s Ministry of Home Affairs. Ansar members are deployed for internal security duties such as guarding factories, government offices, industrial units and key installations. They are issued government weapons when assigned armed duty.
The incident took place around 6.45 pm on Monday at Sultana Sweaters Limited, a factory run by the Labib Group in the Bhaluka upazila area. According to police and eyewitnesses, both men were on security duty and staying inside the Ansar barracks within the factory. During an interaction, Noman Mia allegedly pointed a government-issued shotgun at Biswas in a casual or joking manner.
Shotgun discharged during interaction
Moments later, the firearm went off, and the bullet hit Biswas in the left thigh. He was rushed to the Bhaluka Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. Officer-in-charge Md Jahidul Islam said the accused has been arrested. The shotgun used in the incident has been seized. The body has been sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.
The shooting comes amid increasing cases of violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh.On December 18, Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu man, was lynched by a mob in Bhaluka over allegations of blasphemy. He was beaten, stripped and later set on fire, sparking widespread outrage. A few days later, another Hindu man was beaten to death in a separate incident reported from outside Mymensingh. Bangladesh has called the recent attacks on Hindus as isolated criminal acts.