Another Hindu killed in Bangladesh: BNP leader's Land Cruiser runs over a young man, tragic death on the spot
Dhaka/Rajbari (The Uttam Hindu): The violence and atrocities against minority Hindus in Bangladesh continue unabated. A horrific incident occurred in Rajbari district early Friday morning, where an influential Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader crushed a Hindu petrol pump employee to death with his car. The dispute began over payment for fuel. The deceased has been identified as 30-year-old Ripon Saha, who worked at the Karim Filling Station. The brutal murder has sparked deep anger and fear among the local Hindu community.
The car was driven over after asking for petrol money
The incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. on Friday. According to police and eyewitnesses, Abul Hashem Sujan, former treasurer of the BNP's Rajbari district unit and former district president of its youth wing (Jubo Dal), arrived at the pump in his black Land Cruiser jeep. He filled his vehicle with octane worth approximately 5,000 taka (Bangladeshi currency). When the employee, Ripan Saha, asked for his money, Sujan tried to flee instead of paying. When Ripan tried to stop them and demand his money, the leader and his driver, Kamal Hossain, began abusing him. The argument escalated to such a point that, in a fit of rage, they accelerated the vehicle and ran over Ripan.
The entire incident was captured on CCTV
The impact was so severe that Ripon Saha died on the spot. According to eyewitnesses, Ripon's head and face were severely crushed under the wheels of the vehicle, and his body was found mutilated on the Dhaka-Khulna highway. The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed at the petrol pump. The footage clearly shows the leader's car arriving at the pump, Ripon standing near him, and then the car driving away without paying, crushing him. Rajbari Sadar Police Station OC Khondkar Ziaur Rahman said that based on the CCTV footage and witness statements, the police took prompt action.
Leader and driver arrested, BNP distances itself from the incident
Police raided the home of the main accused, Abul Hashem Sujan, and arrested him from his home in Baro Muraripur village in Sadar subdistrict. The driver, Kamal Hossain, was also taken into custody. Police also seized the Land Cruiser jeep used in the murder. Meanwhile, as the matter escalated, the BNP distanced itself from the accused leader. BNP district coordinator Khairul Anam Bakul clarified that Sujan had resigned from the party long ago and no longer had any connection with the organization, although locals still knew him as a BNP leader.
An atmosphere of panic among minorities
Although the police are initially treating it as a dispute over payment, the incident is being viewed from a communal angle amid the ongoing attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. The brutality with which a Hindu youth was murdered over a minor dispute has raised serious questions about the security situation. Local Hindu organizations have demanded that the administration take the strongest possible action against the culprits so that the victim's family can receive justice.