Although there were strong expectations that the safety of minority communities would be ensured after the new elected government in Bangladesh assumed office, the situation in reality is becoming increasingly alarming. During the continuation of the Yunus administration, within just 20 days of the new government led by Tarique Rahman, seven members of minority communities have been killed.

The latest incident occurred on Sunday (March 8), when a Hindu teenage auto-rickshaw driver named Shanta Saha (16) was killed by robbers in Feni.

Shanta was the son of Kanu Kumar Saha, a resident of Hakdi Baligaon village in Feni Sadar Upazila. The tragic incident took place around 8:00 pm on Sunday near the Lalpol area, west of the Star Line Filling Station on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.

According to police and local sources, Shanta had picked up two passengers from Feni town in his auto-rickshaw and was heading towards Baligaon. When they reached in front of the Star Line Filling Station, the passengers who were actually robbers in disguise pushed him off into a roadside ditch and attempted to flee with the auto-rickshaw. After climbing out of the ditch, Shanta began running behind his vehicle. At that moment, the robbers pushed him again, causing him to fall under a moving truck coming from behind. The truck ran over him, killing him on the spot.

The victim’s brother, Ripon Saha, said that the stolen auto-rickshaw belonged to their father. As usual, their father had returned home in the evening that day, and Shanta took the vehicle out in hopes of earning some extra money. He used that income to cover his education expenses and personal costs. Ripon claimed that the killing was “premeditated” and demanded the immediate arrest of the perpetrators and exemplary punishment.

After the incident, locals informed the police, who recovered the body and sent it to the morgue for an autopsy. Additional Superintendent of Police of Feni Sadar Circle, Nishat Tabassum, said, “The incident is under investigation. Legal action will be taken if the family files a complaint.”

According to local residents, analyzing the CCTV footage from the highway could help uncover the real mystery behind the killing.

It is worth mentioning that since the new government assumed office, two minority individuals have been killed in Chattogram, two in Munshiganj, one in Bogura, and one in Cox’s Bazar. With Sunday’s incident in Feni, a total of seven minorities have been killed within just 20 days. Among the victims, five were Hindus and two belonged to the Bede community.

The series of minority killings has created widespread concern and a sense of fear across the country. Leaders of minority communities have expressed deep concern over the current security situation.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has reiterated its demand for immediate measures to ensure the safety of minorities, including the enactment of a special law for minority protection and the establishment of a National Minority Commission.