Hindu bizman beaten to death in Bangladesh over banana dispute

A Hindu businessman was beaten to death in Bangladesh’s Gazipur district following a dispute over bananas, with the police detaining three members of a family in connection with the incident, local media reported on Sunday.

The deceased, Liton Chandra Ghosh (55), owned Baishakhi Sweetmeat and Hotel in the Kaliganj area of Gazipur.

According to The Daily Star, Kaliganj police station officer-in-charge Zakir Hossain said the detainees were identified as Swapan Mia (55), his wife Majeda Khatun (45) and their son Masum Mia (28).

The police said Masum owned a banana plantation, from which a bunch of bananas had gone missing. While searching for them, he allegedly spotted the bananas at Ghosh’s hotel, leading to an argument between the two sides.

“The accused punched and kicked Ghosh, causing him to fall to the ground. He died on the spot,” the police said, adding that legal proceedings were underway.

According to the victim’s family, Masum had initially arrived at the hotel around 11 am and argued with an employee over a minor issue. The situation escalated when his parents later joined him and a physical altercation broke out.

The police said the body had been sent for post-mortem examination and further investigation was underway.

The killing comes amid heightened concerns over the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh. A recent report by the Rights & Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) claimed that at least 15 Hindus had been killed across the country over the past 45 days, ahead of the general elections.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh authorities have maintained that incidents of violence were being investigated and have denied that minorities were being specifically targeted.