Hindu businessman endures sustained harassment and extortion demands by Muslim men in Bangladesh, attempts suicide on livestream

Case ID : 30a9159 | Location : Chittagong, Chittagong Division, Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Fri, 19 June, 2026

Case ID : 30a9159

Chittagong, Chittagong Division, Bangladesh

19 June, 2026

Hindu businessman endures sustained harassment and extortion demands by Muslim men in Bangladesh, attempts suicide on livestream

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

In Chattogram, Bangladesh, a Hindu businessman attempted suicide after sustained harassment and extortion demands at the hands of three Muslim men. The victim narrated his ordeal before consuming poison during a Facebook Live broadcast. The video went viral on social media, where the victim, Sumsun Ghosh was heard describing in details, the prolonged mental harassment be endured that had pushed him to the point of suicide. The incident took place on 20 June 2026. Sumsun Ghosh, aged 48, operates a spice shop named "Swapan Ghosh & Sons" in the Boxirhat area under Kotwali Police Station, Chattogram. During a Facebook Live session, he alleged that three local residents, Shamsher Ali, Shahadat Ali, and Ayub Ali, had been repeatedly demanding extortion money from him. Holding up a bottle containing a white liquid, Ghosh informed viewers that it was poison and then consumed it on camera. He was subsequently rushed to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment. Doctors later stated that his condition had stabilised. In the livestream, Ghosh described a prolonged ordeal that began after the fall of the previous government. He stated that whenever he refused to pay the money being demanded from him, the three men labelled him an "Awami League supporter" and ensured that he spent five months in jail. According to Ghosh, while he was imprisoned, the same individuals forcibly took his wife and obtained documents relating to his shop. After his release, he learned from the accused that they had arranged for the shop to be rented out during his incarceration. Ghosh explained that the shop was built by his father and that he had been a lawful tenant since 1996 under the property's owner, Nurunnahar Begum of Rahmatganj. He questioned why he should pay rent or money to anyone other than the actual landlord. According to him, the men responded by insisting that the payment was not rent but extortion that he was required to pay. He further stated that the accused repeatedly pressured him to leave the area altogether, telling him that if he left, his wife and son would continue paying them. According to Ghosh, they also reminded him that while he had previously been jailed, they had already collected rent from his family and could continue doing so if he disappeared. During the livestream, Ghosh said that he had been conducting business at the same location for 32 years and had never been involved in disputes or violence with anyone. He stated that the relentless mental pressure had become unbearable and declared that the three men were responsible for his death. Appealing to the public to share the video widely, Ghosh requested that it reach BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. He asked that those responsible be punished for what he described as extortion and intimidation. He also expressed concern for his wife, son, and daughter, noting that his daughter was sitting for her honours examinations in Noakhali. Moments later, he drank the poison from the yellow bottle he was holding. Police officials confirmed that Ghosh had been admitted to hospital after consuming poison during a Facebook Live broadcast. According to hospital police officials, Ghosh stated that prolonged mental harassment connected to demands for money and disputes surrounding his shop had driven him to take the extreme step. Local sources indicated an ongoing dispute over ownership and control of the shop. The Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station stated that the matter was being looked into after authorities became aware of the incident. A local BNP leader, however, questioned whether any formal complaint regarding extortion had previously been lodged and suggested that there may also have been disputes related to ownership or financial transactions concerning the shop. The incident sparked widespread discussion in Bangladesh after the livestream circulated across social media platforms. The case drew particular attention because a Hindu businessman publicly accused local Muslim men of sustained extortion, intimidation, and mental harassment before attempting to take his own life.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This incident has been added to the tracker under- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the subcategory selected is- Attacked for Hindu identity. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. This case constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime because the victim was a Hindu businessman who was subjected to sustained harassment, intimidation, and extortion that ultimately drove him to attempt suicide. The victim publicly identified the individuals he held responsible and described a prolonged campaign of pressure that affected not only his livelihood but also his sense of security and dignity. While the available details do not explicitly indicate a religious motive, the broader context cannot be ignored. When there is an ongoing ethnic cleansing based on religious identity, every crime in and of itself is assumed to be motivated by the same religious animosity, even if there is a lack of a specific religious marker in the immediate crime. During an ongoing ethnic cleansing, the dehumanisation of people based on their religious identity and the normalisation of religious hostility drive the crimes committed against them, even when there is a lack of stated religious motive. For the purpose of documenting the 2024 ethnic cleansing of Hindus in Bangladesh, the Hinduphobia Tracker is assuming religious motivation ab initio. If a case is proven beyond a reasonable doubt to be driven by motivations other than religious hostility, it will be removed from the hate crime database post facto.