Hindu Family of Four Reported Missing in Bangladesh’s Chandpur
Dhaka — Four members of a Hindu family, including two children, have been reported missing from Chandpur city in Bangladesh, according to local media reports, adding to concerns over crimes affecting minority communities in the country.
The missing family members were identified as businessman Pintu Das, his wife Rimi, and their sons Priyam and Rupam Das.
Upma Dey, a relative of the family and joint convener of the Chandpur district Hindu Buddhist Christian Students’ Unity Council, confirmed the disappearance on Wednesday.
Dey said Pintu Das had been living with his family in a rented home in Chandpur and was facing financial difficulties, according to Bangladeshi newspaper Dainik Kalbela.
Relatives also reportedly learned that a member of a local Patwari family had allegedly threatened Das before he, his wife and their children disappeared.
Police said they had begun looking into the case.
“We have just learned about the disappearance of four members of his family, including Pintu Das,” the officer-in-charge of Chandpur Sadar Model Police Station said. “The matter will be investigated, and necessary steps will be taken to rescue them.”
The case comes days after four members of another Hindu family were found dead in Rangpur city.
The victims were identified as retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, 65; his wife, Pritilata Chakraborty, 50; their daughter, Agami Chakraborty Prarthi, 23; and their 12-year-old son, Priyam Chakraborty.
Police recovered the four bodies on Aug. 22, two days after the killings reportedly occurred.
Authorities later arrested Siddhartha Das, 23, and Mugdha Das, 19, in connection with the deaths. Police said the suspects allegedly carried out the killings after Chakraborty tried to stop them from using yaba, an illegal methamphetamine-based drug, on a rooftop.
Justice Makers Bangladesh in France, an international human rights organization, condemned the killings and called for a broader investigation into the motive.
The group said investigators should not dismiss the possibility of religious extremist or militant links without examining the evidence, citing the victims’ minority status, questions raised by relatives and changes in the reported police account of the case.
The organization also referred to a recent United Nations Security Council monitoring report warning that Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent has sought to establish terrorist cells in Bangladesh.
The U.N. report did not link the Rangpur killings to AQIS or any other militant organization. Justice Makers Bangladesh in France said the warning nevertheless underscored the need for authorities to investigate all potential motives and connections impartially. (Source: IANS)
