Rangpur, Bangladesh — Two men from the minority Hindu community were beaten to death around 9 p.m. Saturday in Rangpur’s Taraganj upazila after villagers accused them of stealing a van, police and witnesses said. The killings mark another grim episode in Bangladesh’s surge of mob justice amid a year of political and security upheaval.
The victims, Ruplal Das, 40, a cobbler from Ghani Rampur in Kursha union, and his niece’s husband, Pradip Das, 35, a van driver from Baluabhata in Mithapukur, were on their way to finalize a wedding date for Ruplal’s daughter when they were stopped at Burirhat Bottola in Soyar Union around 9 p.m.
Local residents confronted them, checked their van, and discovered four plastic bottles containing an unidentified liquid. Two men reportedly fell ill after smelling the contents, fueling suspicion.
The incident followed a recent child murder and van theft in the area that had left residents on edge. Anger flared quickly, and the two men were assaulted and dragged to a nearby school field.
They were left unconscious until police arrived. Ruplal was declared dead at the Taraganj Upazila Health Complex; Pradip died hours later at Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
Police have registered a case naming at least 700 unidentified suspects. “We are working to identify and arrest those responsible,” said Taraganj police chief M.A. Faruk.
Grief and outrage
At Ruplal’s modest tin home, his elderly mother wailed, insisting her son was innocent. His widow, Bharti Das, repeatedly fainted, lamenting the loss of the family’s sole breadwinner. “He spent his life stitching shoes. He harmed no one,” she said.
Relatives argue the killings reflect not just mistaken identity but a breakdown in public trust in law enforcement.
Other killings on the same day
Five more people were killed in separate incidents across the country that same day:
- In Sylhet’s Golapganj, former opposition youth leader Roni Hossain was stabbed to death, reportedly after exposing an alleged extramarital affair involving a local political figure.
- In Cumilla’s Titas upazila, excavator operator Nazrul Bhuiyan was killed, dismembered, and dumped in a canal, allegedly by a woman and her husband.
- In Cox’s Bazar’s Pekua, Jasim Uddin was stabbed to death inside his home at night, reportedly over a dispute linked to his son’s relationship.
- In Rajshahi’s Durgapur, 70-year-old Wajed Ali was hacked to death by rivals in a long-running feud.
- In Cumilla Sadar South, workshop owner Dulal Mia was found dead with head injuries; a tenant couple were detained.
Political backdrop
Bangladesh has been under an army-backed interim government led by Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus since the August 5, 2024 ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Rights groups allege the new administration has presided over a wave of human rights abuses.
Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) reports at least 318 people, including children, were killed between August 5 and 8, 2024. The Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Unity Council says 2,010 incidents of murder, rape, and other violence occurred between August 4 and 20, with continuing attacks on minorities’ homes and businesses nationwide.
According to rights monitors, mobs aligned with the interim authorities have raided the homes of Awami League supporters, often in the presence of security forces. Political prisoners have been attacked inside court premises.
Journalists, teachers, and academics have been targeted with politically motivated cases, stripped of accreditation, or forced to resign. Police and civil servants have been removed from their posts, allegedly to politicize the administration. Access to the Bangladesh Secretariat is restricted to government-aligned journalists with temporary passes.
Escalating vigilante violence
Rights groups link the rise in mob justice to the erosion of institutional authority since the political transition. The Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) recorded 119 deaths in mob attacks in the first seven months of 2025. The Economic Times, citing compiled reports, put the toll at about 637 over the past year.
Analysts say the combination of rumor-fueled anger, longstanding grievances, communal tension, and political instability has created an environment where mobs feel empowered to act with impunity.
Calls for justice
Human rights advocates warn that unless perpetrators are swiftly prosecuted, such killings will become further normalized. “This is not just lawlessness — it’s the result of a systemic collapse,” said one Dhaka-based political analyst. “The government must restore public confidence in legal institutions.”
Police in Rangpur say patrols have been reinforced. But rights campaigners stress that without nationwide reforms, including curbs on political violence and guarantees for minority and press freedoms, the cycle of violence is unlikely to abate.
