A 28-year-old Hindu auto-rickshaw driver named Samir Das has been brutally beaten and stabbed to death in Daganbhuiyan, Chittagong, Bangladesh, marking yet another grim episode in the surge of violence against religious minorities.

The attack unfolded on Sunday night, when assailants thrashed Das with country-made weapons before stabbing him fatally. They fled the scene after stealing his battery-operated auto-rickshaw, leaving his body behind.

Police in Daganbhuiyan have described the incident as a pre-planned murder. "Sameer was murdered with country-made weapons and beaten to death," a local officer stated. "The perpetrators also looted an auto-rickshaw after the killing. The victim's family will file a First Information Report (FIR). The police have launched an operation to identify and arrest the culprits."

This killing comes amid escalating communal tensions in Bangladesh, a nation of 170 million where Muslims form the overwhelming majority. Hindus and other minorities, comprising less than 10 per cent of the population, have faced heightened threats since the 2024 uprising that ousted the previous government.

The resurgence of Islamist forces has fuelled widespread concern among Hindus, Sufi Muslims, and other groups. Local media reports portray Das's murder as part of a disturbing pattern targeting minority communities.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, a prominent human rights body combating religious discrimination, has voiced grave alarm over the rising attacks. It warns that communal violence is intensifying at an alarming rate ahead of Bangladesh's February national election.

From New Delhi, India has repeatedly condemned the treatment of minorities in its neighbour, with a particular focus on Hindus. Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, addressed the issue during a weekly briefing.

"We continue to witness a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities, as well as their homes and business establishments, by extremists in Bangladesh," Jaiswal said. "Such communal incidents need to be dealt with swiftly and firmly."

India has also criticised attempts to minimise these attacks by blaming personal rivalries or unrelated factors. "We have observed a troubling tendency to attribute such incidents to personal vendettas, political differences, and other extraneous reasons," Jaiswal added. "Such disregard only emboldens the extremists and the perpetrators of such crimes and deepens the sense of fear and insecurity among the minorities."

Bangladesh's interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has pushed back against India's stance. He accused New Delhi of exaggerating the scale of the violence, amid strained bilateral ties.

The MEA reaffirmed its vigilance, stating that India hopes acts of communal violence will be addressed decisively. This position underscores New Delhi's ongoing monitoring of the crisis, which has strained relations between the two South Asian nations.

Rights groups and minority leaders argue that the pre-election period risks further escalation, with impunity for attackers eroding trust in state institutions. Das's family now awaits justice, as police operations continue in Chittagong.

This incident highlights broader geopolitical frictions, where India's advocacy for Hindu minorities intersects with Bangladesh's internal political transitions. As elections loom, the international community watches closely for signs of stabilisation or further unrest.

Agencies