Hindu lives continue to be attacked under the Yunus regime in Bangladesh. Now, two more Hindus have perished amid the ongoing unrest in the country. 60-year-old Proloy Chaki, a well-known Hindu musician and Awami League leader, passed away in police custody, while 28-year-old Samir (Sameer) Kumar Das was thrashed and stabbed to death by a mob.
Proloy was imprisoned at the Pabna District Jail. The authorities stated that he went into cardiac arrest and was transported to Pabna General Hospital on 9th January. He was then transferred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital when his condition became critical and died there at around 9:00 pm.
Omor Faruque, Superintendent of Pabna district jail claimed, “Proloy Chaki was suffering from severe issues related to diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems.” His family, however, has vehemently contested the official narrative. They charged that he was refused appropriate medical care for months and endured protracted physical and psychological abuse during incarceration.
Sunny Chaki, his son, asserted that the renowned singer was held in a prison cell rather than a critical care unit despite having diabetes and heart ailment.
He emphasised that there was no case against the deceased and he was subjected to unwarranted harassment. Sunny mentioned that the arrest was made without a warrant and Proloy was refused appropriate medical attention.
Sunny further accused, “My father’s condition became critical in jail, but the authorities did not officially inform us. We rushed to the hospital after hearing from others, but he was not given proper treatment, which led to his death.” Family members and friends have maintained that Proloy was singled out due to his religious beliefs and political affiliation. The currently outlawed Awami League leaders likewise highlighted that he was tortured while in confinement.
Bhaskar Chowdhury voiced, “Proloy Chaki was a cultural activist and singer beyond his political identity. We cannot accept his death in this manner. It is a great loss for Pabna’s cultural sector.” He is the Pabna Sammilito Shangskritik Jote’s (cultural organisation) secretary. Former Pabna Drama Circle president Gopal Sanyal called for a thorough probe into the incident.
Meanwhile, prominent singers like Tapan Chowdhury, Kumar Bishwajit, Dinat Jahan Munni, Bappa Mazumder, and Kabir Bakul have expressed their grief over the tragic demise.
Proloy was also the Awami League’s Pabna district unit’s secretary for cultural affairs. On 16th December of last year, he was apprehended from his home in Dilalpur, Pabna town. The action was taken in connection with an alleged 4th August explosion case. Afterwards, several cases were lodged against him and he remained behind bars ever since. His body would be given to the family once legal procedures are concluded.
Samir Kumar Das beaten to death
On the night of 11th January, a mob beat and stabbed Samir Kumar Das to death in Daganbhuiyan of Chittagong. He was an autorickshaw driver in the Feni district’s Dagonbhuiyan neighbourhood. Police reported that the perpetrators took off with his battery-operated vehicle after committing the grave crime. Samir’s body was discovered close to a subdistrict hospital.
According to local police, Samir drove off in his autorickshaw that fateful evening and never came back after which cops were alerted beacuse his family members were unable to locate him. However, the residents found his blood-soaked body early on the morning of 12th January, in a field next to Muhuri Bari hamlet. The police added that the victim suffered stab wounds and there was evidence of a severe assault.
A police officer informed, “Samir was murdered with country-made weapons and beaten to death. Prima facie, it appears to be a planned murder. The perpetrators also looted an auto-rickshaw after the killing. The victim’s family will file a First Information Report (FIR). The police have launched an operation to identify and arrest the culprits.”
At least 12 Hindus have been killed in the nation in only 42 days. The public burning and lynching of Dipu Chandra Das on 18th December in Mymensingh was another example of the relentless persecution of the vulnerable minority Hindu community, which has been under attack after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On the other hand, the Muhammad Yunus-led government has referred to these regular murders as “mere exceptions” and classified the occurrences as “not communal.”
