A 30-year-old Hindu man was crushed to death by an SUV in Bangladesh after he tried to stop the vehicle from leaving a petrol pump without paying for fuel, police said.
The victim, Ripon Saha, was working at Karim Filling Station in Goalanda Mor when the incident took place at around 4:30 am on Friday, according to local media reports.
Police and eyewitnesses said a black SUV took fuel worth around BDT. 3,710 from the filling station and attempted to leave without making payment. When the occupants refused to pay, Saha stood in front of the vehicle to stop it.
However, the driver allegedly ran the SUV over Saha and fled, killing him on the spot.
Police later seized the SUV and arrested its owner, Abul Hashem alias Sujan (55), along with the driver, Kamal Hossain (43).
According to police, Hashem is a former Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) worker, having earlier served as treasurer of the Rajbari district BNP and president of the district Jubo Dal. He is currently a contractor by profession.
The killing has triggered fresh concerns over the safety of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, where incidents targeting minority communities have been reported frequently in recent months.
Bangladesh has a Hindu population of around 13.13 million, accounting for nearly 8 per cent of the country’s population, according to the 2022 census.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, a rights group representing minority communities, expressed grave concern over what it described as a rise in attacks on minorities.
The organisation alleged that as the general elections draw closer, communal violence is increasing in an attempt to intimidate minority voters. It claimed to have recorded 51 incidents of communal violence in December 2025 alone.
India has also voiced concern over the treatment of minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, particularly Hindus.
New Delhi has warned against attempts to downplay attacks on minorities by portraying them as personal disputes or isolated incidents, saying such narratives only encourage extremist elements.
The investigation into Ripon Saha’s killing is ongoing, while the incident continues to draw attention both within Bangladesh and internationally.ashem alias Sujan (55), along with the driver, Kamal Hossain (43).
According to police, Hashem is a former Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) worker, having earlier served as treasurer of the Rajbari district BNP and president of the district Jubo Dal. He is currently a contractor by profession.
