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Photo source: Immanuel job, via Pexels, March 22nd, 2022.
19-02-2026 | Pauliina Majasaari | Asia Team Researcher, Global Human Rights Defence.
On February 11th, 2026, the deceased body of a young 28-year-old Hindu man, Ratan Shuvo Kar, was found in the remote end of the Champara Tea Garden in Kamalganj Upazila in Bangladesh. Upon the discovery of the body by residents, the police were called to the scene. The victim was covered in blood, with visible injuries, and his hands and feet were tied. Investigations were immediately launched into a probable homicide; however, no arrests have been made yet. Suspicions were raised by a few residents that he was killed elsewhere and the body was dumped in the Tea Garden to sidetrack the investigations. Possible connections to the national elections that were held the following day have been on the minds of the residents, creating insecurity amongst them. However, these suspicions have not been formally confirmed by authorities.
Ratan was a daily wage worker at Champara Tea Garden, and his family had been searching for him since the previous night, as he had not returned home from work. His older brother, Laxman Kar, expressed the family’s shock upon being informed on Wednesday morning about the discovery of his brother’s body. The family is unaware of the reasons for his violent death and was told that they were not aware of any disputes or conflicts present within Ratan’s life that could have led to such violence.
In the approach of elections in Bangladesh, violence is not uncommon, however there seems to be a vast number of attacks conducted against the Hindu community. According to a report by the South Asia Forum for Freedom of Religion, within a 45-day period,at least 15 targeted murders of members of the Hindu minority have occurred in Bangladesh. Moreover, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council recorded 51 incidents of communal violence in December 2025. Such recurring violence creates worry for the protection of minorities’ rights, especially freedom of religion. Moreover, the violence may deter minorities from enjoying their right to political participation and freedom of opinion and expression, especially regarding political views within the general elections that were recently held in Bangladesh.
