A 25-year-old Hindu youth, Chanchal Chandra Bhowmik, was burned to death in Narsingdi, Bangladesh, on Friday night. Bhowmik was sleeping inside a garage when the fire broke out. CCTV footage has raised suspicion of foul play, according to a report by ANI.
The family of the victim has described the incident as a “planned murder” and is demanding the immediate arrest of all those involved, along with the harshest possible punishment, India Today reported.
Narsingdi Superintendent of Police (SP) Abdullah Al Faruque told the news agency over the phone that although the fire started inside the shop, CCTV footage shows a person moving around the area.
“We have collected footage from the CCTV cameras and observed that there is a scene showing a person moving around. We are investigating whether the fire was caused by some external factor or by an electrical fault”, ANI quoted the SP as saying.
Who was Chanchal Chandra Bhowmik?
Chanchal Chandra Bhowmik was a young Hindu labourer who worked at a local garage in Narsingdi, Bangladesh. He was originally from Lakshmipur village in the Cumilla district and had moved to Narsingdi in search of steady employment. Living near his workplace, he led a simple and modest life, according to a report by The Sunday Guardian.
Bhowmik was the sole earning member of his family and was known among locals as a quiet, hardworking person with no known personal disputes or conflicts, the report mentioned.
The police said that the fire began inside the shop and that fire service personnel broke open the shutter in an attempt to rescue him. However, by the time they reached him, his body was completely burnt. “We are still investigating everything, and so far, no one has been arrested”, he told ANI.
Authorities are trying to find out whether the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit or by an “external factor”. As of Sunday, no arrests had been made.
Rising tensions ahead of Bangladesh elections
Bangladesh is currently facing a tense security situation as the country moves closer to national elections scheduled for February 12, 2026. With the Awami League banned and communal tensions rising, the safety of religious minorities has become a major concern at the international level.
According to reports from human rights groups and government agencies, incidents of targeted violence against minorities have increased sharply since the interim government led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus took charge in August 2024.
This internal unrest has drawn strong reactions from leaders living abroad. In her first address to a gathering in India since arriving in the country after violent protests in August 2024, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina strongly criticised Interim Government Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. She said the country “has plunged into an age of terror” and claimed that “there is a treacherous plot to barter away the territory and resources of Bangladesh to foreign interests”.
She urged people to “overthrow the Yunus regime”. Bangladesh is set to hold national elections on February 12, while the activities of Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League, have been banned and its registration suspended.
Protests abroad over minority persecution
In January, a large crowd gathered at Parliament Square in London for a protest demanding international attention to what they described as continued torture, persecution and killings of minorities in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Hindu Association and the Bengali Hindu Adarsh Sangha said this in a statement.
The protest was organised by the Bangladesh Hindu Association (BHA) with support from INSIGHT UK and the Bengali Hindu Adarsh Sangha (BHAS). More than 500 people attended the event, including students, working professionals, families with children, elderly activists and interfaith leaders.
Spike in communal violence reported
As the 13th National Parliamentary Election in Bangladesh approaches, communal violence has reportedly increased at an alarming rate. In December alone, at least 51 incidents of violence were reported.
According to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, these incidents included 10 murders, 10 cases of theft and robbery, 23 cases involving illegal occupation of homes, businesses, temples and land, along with looting and arson. There were also four cases of arrest and torture based on false accusations of religious defamation and being “agents of RAW”, one attempted rape and three cases of physical assault.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs expressed serious concern over the killing of the Hindu youth in Bangladesh, linking it to the broader issue of minority safety and law and order in the country.
The MEA said that independent reports have recorded more than 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities during the tenure of Bangladesh’s interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. These incidents include killings, arson and land grabbing.