Mymensingh (Bangladesh): A 40-year-old man, Bajendra Biswas, was shot dead by a colleague in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh district, Bangladesh, news agency ANI reported on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Noman Mia, has been arrested, ANI said, citing RTV Online.
Monindra Nath, Acting Secretary General of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddha Christian Unity Council, confirmed the killing to ANI, stating, “Yes, the incident is confirmed.”
Both the victim and the accused were members of the Ansar force, according to the report.
Incident Details
The incident occurred on Monday, December 29, around 6:30 pm at Sultana Sweaters Limited factory in the Mehrabari area of Bhaluka upazila.
According to RTV Online, cited by ANI, APC Md Azahar Ali, an Ansar member on duty with the Labib Group and an eyewitness, said that Bajendra Biswas and Noman Mia were sitting together in a room at the time of the incident.
“Suddenly, Noman Mia pressed the shotgun against Bajendra Biswas’s thigh and asked, ‘Shall I shoot?’ before firing,” the eyewitness said. He added that no argument or dispute was observed prior to the shooting, and the accused fled the scene immediately after the incident.
Victim and Accused Identified
The deceased, Bajendra Biswas, was the son of Probitra Biswas, a resident of Kadirpur village under Sylhet Sadar upazila.
The accused, Noman Mia, is the son of Lutfar Rahman from the Baluturi Bazar area under Taherpur Police Station in Sunamganj district, the report said.
HT.com said it could not independently access the RTV Online report.
Background
The incident comes days after the lynching of Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, which sparked protests in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Agartala, and parts of Madhya Pradesh, raising concerns over the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.
The killing of Dipu Chandra Das was acknowledged and condemned by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of Bangladesh, while several Hindu organisations staged demonstrations near Bangladeshi diplomatic missions, demanding stronger measures to protect minorities in the country.