Dhaka: A 28-year-old Hindu man was found dead with visible injury marks on his body in Bangladesh’s Moulvibazar district, just a day before the crucial general elections, raising fresh anxieties among minority communities over possible election-linked violence amid an already tense political atmosphere, according to local media reports.
Police confirmed that the deceased, identified as Ratan Shuvo Kar, worked at the Champara Tea Garden under the Islampur union, and his body was recovered with his hands and feet tied.
According to a report by the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star, locals discovered the body inside the tea estate where Kar was employed at around 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday and immediately alerted the authorities.
Eyewitness accounts cited in the report indicated that the body had several visible injury marks and was found in a blood-soaked condition. A co-worker alleged that Kar might have been killed at another location and that the body was later brought and dumped in the tea garden, though this claim remains unverified.
The Daily Star report further noted that certain residents suspect that the killing could be connected to the ongoing election climate, but no conclusive evidence has yet emerged to establish such a link.
The incident has nonetheless intensified apprehensions among local communities, especially with the election scheduled to take place amid political uncertainty.
Speaking to the Bangladeshi media outlet, Kar’s elder brother, Laxman Kar, said that the family had been searching for him since Tuesday night after he failed to return home.
“This morning, we were informed that his body was lying in the garden. We went there and identified him. We do not know why he was killed,” he said, expressing grief and confusion over the incident.
Police officials stated that the body has been sent for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Authorities added that a detailed investigation has been launched to ascertain whether the murder had any connection with the election process or if it was driven by other motives. As of now, officials have not issued any confirmation regarding the circumstances leading to Kar’s death.
The incident comes at a time when concerns regarding the safety of minority communities have been mounting in Bangladesh amid a volatile political environment and heightened tensions.
(IANS)
