Hindu man burned to death while sleeping in garage in Bangladesh’s Narsingdi

A 23-year-old Hindu man was burned to death while sleeping inside a garage in Bangladesh’s Narsingdi city, around 50 km from Dhaka, in an incident police are investigating as suspected arson, officials said.

The victim was identified as Chanchal Chandra Bhowmik, son of Khokan Chandra Bhowmik, a resident of Lakshmipur village in Cumilla district. He worked at a garage located in the Khanabari Mosque Market area under the Narsingdi Police Lines jurisdiction.

According to police and local residents, Bhowmik returned to the garage late on Friday night after work and fell asleep inside the premises. Unidentified persons allegedly set the garage on fire while he was asleep. The presence of petrol, engine oil and other inflammable materials inside the garage caused the fire to spread rapidly, officials said.

Bhowmik died of burn injuries and suffocation, they said.

CCTV footage from nearby cameras reportedly captured individuals setting the garage ablaze. However, the attackers have not yet been identified.

“The police are conducting a thorough investigation considering the seriousness of the case. The body has been recovered and CCTV footage seized. Multiple teams have been formed to identify and arrest those involved,” a police official said.

The incident comes amid heightened political tensions in Bangladesh, where national elections are due in the coming weeks.

Minority rights groups have raised concerns over the safety of religious minorities during periods of political unrest, though authorities have said law and order is being maintained.

According to Bangladesh’s 2022 census, the Hindu population stands at around 13.13 million, constituting about 7.95 per cent of the country’s population.

India has previously expressed concern over incidents involving members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh. In recent weeks, police and media reports have flagged multiple violent incidents involving Hindus across different districts.

Earlier this month, a Hindu sweetshop owner was beaten to death in Gazipur district while attempting to protect an employee during an assault, police said. In the same period, a Hindu house was reportedly set on fire in Sylhet district, while a Hindu autorickshaw driver was stabbed to death in Feni district.

Police said investigations are ongoing in all cases.