A 16-year-old Hindu boy, Shanto Kumar Saha, was killed after robbers allegedly pushed him onto a busy highway in Feni District while attempting to seize his autorickshaw. The incident occurred near the Dhaka–Chittagong Highway and is being investigated by police
Representational image. File pic
In yet another disturbing incident of violence against the minority community in Bangladesh, a young Hindu boy was fatally run over following a confrontation with robbers attempting to seize his vehicle, local media reported on Monday.
As reported by news agency IANS, the unfortunate incident occurred on Sunday evening in the Lalpol area of Feni district on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
The deceased has been identified as 16-year-old Shanto Kumar Saha. Shanto was allegedly thrown onto the road by the robbers and hit by a moving vehicle, killing him on the spot.
Citing relatives of the deceased and eyewitnesses, Bangladeshi media reported that Shanto was seen waiting in his autorickshaw, attending to a passenger's belongings in front of the Miyaji filling station in Lalpol.
However, half an hour later, the unidentified assailants attacked him, beating him and throwing him under a culvert on the side of the highway while attempting to rob him, as per IANS.
When Shanto got up from there and chased the robbers, they pushed him on the highway, where he was hit by a moving vehicle and killed instantly.
Confirming the incident, Additional Superintendent of Police of Feni, Nishat Tabassum, asserted, "Upon receiving information, the police recovered the body from the scene and sent it to the Feni General Hospital mortuary," cited by IANS.
Shanto's cousin Nipul Das, while expressing his thoughts about the incident, said, "In the evening, when his family members could not contact him, they started searching for him. Later, after receiving information from a familiar auto-rickshaw driver, we went to the spot and found Shanto's body. If we observe the CCTV footage from the area where he had picked up the passengers, it will be possible to identify the kidnappers", as cited by IANS.
Shanto's other cousin, Nipa Rani Das, said, “I met Shanto in front of the Miyaji filling station just before Iftar. When I asked him to take me home, he said he had a passenger to pick up. At that time, there were a few sacks in his autorickshaw. I also saw a person standing next to him. I think they targeted Shanto, taking advantage of the quiet atmosphere during Iftar, and hijacked the autorickshaw.”
BNP highlights surge in violence targeting minorities in Bangladesh
The latest incident under the newly formed Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government highlights the continuous and alarming surge in violence targeting Hindu communities throughout Bangladesh.
It continues the pattern seen during the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, whose 18-month tenure witnessed escalating attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus.
(With inputs from IANS)
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