Daijiworld Media Network - Dhaka

Dhaka, Dec 30: A Hindu man serving with Bangladesh’s Ansar force was shot dead by a colleague in Mymensingh district, marking another troubling incident amid growing concerns over the safety of religious minorities in the country, local media reported on Tuesday.

The victim was identified as 40-year-old Bajendra Biswas, an Ansar member deployed at a garment factory in Bhaluka upazila. Police said he was shot by fellow Ansar member Noman Mia, who has since been taken into custody.

The incident took place on Monday evening at the Sultana Sweaters Limited factory in the Mehrabari area, where around 20 Ansar personnel were assigned for security duties. According to reports citing police and eyewitnesses, the two men were seated together when the shooting occurred. Biswas was rushed to a nearby health facility but was declared dead by doctors.

An Ansar official who witnessed the incident told local media that there was no visible argument or altercation between the two prior to the shooting. After the incident, the accused fled the scene but was later arrested following a police operation launched in the early hours of Tuesday.

Mymensingh’s Additional Superintendent of Police Abdullah Al Mamun confirmed the arrest and said an investigation is underway to determine the motive behind the killing. The victim’s body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and legal proceedings have been initiated.

This killing is the third reported violent death involving members of the Hindu community in less than a week and the second such incident in the Mymensingh region. Earlier reports this month referred to the deaths of two other Hindu youths in separate incidents, which have drawn widespread attention and concern.

Rights groups and observers have pointed to a pattern of increasing violence against minorities in Bangladesh in recent months. The situation has triggered criticism from within the country and abroad, with several human rights organisations urging stronger protection for vulnerable communities.

India, meanwhile, has expressed serious concern over what it described as continuing hostility toward minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, and said it is closely monitoring developments in the neighbouring country.