Hindu man found dead under suspicious circumstances in Satkhira district of Bangladesh

Case ID : e274a55 | Location : Satkhira District, Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Sat, 28 June, 2025

Case ID : e274a55

Satkhira District, Bangladesh

28 June, 2025

Hindu man found dead under suspicious circumstances in Satkhira district of Bangladesh

Attack resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

A Hindu man named Prabir Mondal was discovered dead under suspicious circumstances in a remote area of Assasuni upazila, located within the Satkhira district of Bangladesh. His semi-decomposed body was found hanging from a Kewra tree in an orchard on the morning of Sunday, 29th June. The deceased, aged 62, had a net wound tightly around his neck, which raised concerns regarding the manner of his death. The condition of the body, coupled with the location, suggested foul play. A local resident named Masum Billah, who had been fishing for crabs near the site, first observed the body and subsequently informed the Assasuni police. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers noted a Tulsi mala (sacred basil bead necklace) around the victim’s neck, which indicated his Hindu identity. Confirmation of the victim’s name and background followed later, after further enquiry. Reports stated that Mondal had left his residence on 25th June and had not returned, prompting concern among his family and neighbours. Despite the body being located on the 29th, police authorities could not proceed with its immediate recovery. The delay was reportedly attributed to extreme stench arising from stagnant water in the surrounding riverbed, in addition to difficulties caused by elevated tides in the area. This incident is a stark reminder of the atrocities Hindu minorities face in Islamic states like Bangladesh, which has only grown manifold following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024. The instability had created an environment where extremist violence against the Hindu minority escalated. Reports indicated a surge in mob attacks targeting Hindu homes, many of which were set ablaze. Women were reportedly abducted and raped during these violent events. Additionally, multiple temples, including the historic Manasa Mata temple, were destroyed, further amplifying fear within the Hindu community.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack resulting in death. Within this, the selected subcategory 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 the 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, cases where the attack led to the death of the Hindu victim/s would be documented. The murder of Prabir Mondal, a 62-year-old Hindu man found hanging with a net around his neck in an orchard in Assasuni upazila, Satkhira district, though, does not explicitly indicate a religious motive, it must be viewed within the broader context of targeted violence intended to unsettle Hindu populations in regions where they constitute a vulnerable minority. 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 specific religious markers in the immediate crime. During an ongoing ethnic cleansing, the dehumanisation of people based on their religious identity and the normalisation of religious hostility drives 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 specifically and beyond reasonable doubt proven to be driven by motivations other than religious hostility, it will post-facto be removed from the hate crime database. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that the date of the incident is chosen as June 29, 2025, because it is the day when the body of Prabir Mondal was found. Notably, Hinduphobia Tracker records the incident based on when the incident occurred or when the victim's ordeal began and not when it was reported.