Hindu Journalist, Shot Dead In Bangladesh, Had Been Paying ‘Protection Money’ For Months: Report

Last Updated:January 07, 2026, 12:37 IST

Relatives said Rana Pratap Bairagi paid around three lakh taka to ensure his safety. Despite this, he was killed on Monday.

The killing of Rana Pratap Bairagi marks the fifth reported minority attack in less than three weeks. (IMAGE: X/@salah_shoaib)

Rana Pratap Bairagi, who was shot dead near his ice factory in Bangladesh’s Jessore district, was paying protection money to radical islamists for months, according to a TOI report.

On Monday, assailants fired seven bullets at him. His killing has also sent fear through the local Hindu community in the neighbouring country, who say they now feel completely unsafe amid the ongoing violence.

Relatives said that 37-year-old Bairagi paid around three lakh taka to ensure his safety. Despite this, he was killed. A family member told reporters that minorities feel like “sitting ducks" and fear they may not live to see the next day.

Bairagi was well known in Arua village of Keshabpur upazila, which has more than 100 Hindu homes. He ran an ice-making factory and also worked as a journalist. Politically active, he was seen as a voice for minorities and regularly took up their problems with authorities.

What Bairagi’s family said?

Relatives believe his political affiliation may have made him a target. Bairagi was linked to the Awami League, led by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is now in exile. They said the situation in the area changed sharply after Hasina was removed from power in August last year. Since then, fear among minorities has grown.

According to a relative, Bairagi was called near his factory before being shot. He was killed on the spot. The family said attackers may claim he wrote controversial articles, but their real aim was to eliminate a Hindu leader. They believe the message was clear: if someone like Bairagi can be killed, others will be too afraid to speak up.

Just hours after Bairagi’s murder, another Hindu man, Mani Chakraborty, was lynched. The two deaths on the same day have spread panic among minority families in the region.

Extortion by armed groups

Villagers said gangs of fundamentalists, believed to be linked to Jamaat-e-Islami, regularly visit Hindu homes, according to a TOI report. They demand money for protection and threaten death if it is not paid. Locals said these groups are outsiders who arrive every month to extort money. Most people are too scared to complain.

Meanwhile, several villagers admitted they pay a “protection tax" but are unsure who the extortionists truly belong to. One acquaintance said BNP workers had promised protection without demanding money. Even so, fear remains. He said he plans to apply for an Indian visa, sell his land, and move to West Bengal to live with relatives, hoping to find safety there.

News world Hindu Journalist, Shot Dead In Bangladesh, Had Been Paying ‘Protection Money’ For Months: Report

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