Hindu businessman beaten to death in Bangladesh

DHAKA: In another incident of deadly violence against the minorities, a Hindu businessman was beaten to death at Kaliganj upazila of Gazipur on Saturday, heightening fears in the Hindu community ahead of the national election.Police and local residents identified the victim as Liton Chandra Ghosh, alias Kali. The 55-year-old owned Baishakhi Sweetmeat and Hotel. Police have detained three people in connection with the death They were identified as Swapan Mia (55), wife Majeda Khatun (45) and son Masum Mia (28), according to Md Zakir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kaliganj police station. Family members of the victim said Masum had gone to the hotel around 11.00 am and became involved in an argument with a hotel employee, Ananta Das, over a trivial matter. Later, Masum’s parents arrived at the scene, and the dispute escalated into a physical altercation. When hotel owner Liton Chandra Ghosh attempted to intervene and calm the situation, he was assaulted. He was finally struck on the head with a shovel, killing him on the spot.In Dec, Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old garment worker, was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy.Rights groups have reported at least 51 incidents of violence against Hindus, including 10 killings. Bangladesh’s interim govt and all political parties should commit to ensuring gender equality and protecting minority rights, said Subhajit Saha, senior coordinator, Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch (HRW).