Published: 01:15 AM, 30 August 2026
Dhaka protest demands judicial probe into Rangpur killings
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council on Saturday demanded a judicial inquiry into the killings of a teacher Ganapati Chakraborty and his family in Rangpur, along with a statement from the government in Parliament on the incident.
The organisation made the demand at a human chain and protest march held at the National Press Club premises in Dhaka, carrying a banner that read: "The Rangpur killings are mysterious: Which way will minorities find freedom from ongoing communal violence?"
Around 500 members of minority communities took part in the protest march, which paraded through several streets in the capital before returning to the Press Club, UNB reports.
Nirmal Rosario, one of the organisation's presidents, chaired a rally held before the march, conducted by Youth Unity Council President Shimul Saha.
Speakers included Kajal Debnath, Bhikkhu Sunandapriya, Milon Kanti Dutta, DN Chatterjee, journalist Basudev Dhar, Manindra Kumar Nath, Jayanti Roy, Padmabati Devi, Advocate Apurba Bhattacharya, journalist Pulak Ghatak, Atul Mondal, Dipali Chakraborty, Tapas Das and Dipankar Chandra Shil, among others.
The speakers alleged that a "vested group" carried out the killings of teacher Ganapati Chakraborty and his family in Rangpur to serve its own interests.
They also alleged that police actions appeared aimed at concealing or diverting attention from the actual circumstances of the killings, saying the police version of the incident was not credible.
They demanded that the government immediately issue a statement in Parliament and launch a judicial inquiry to identify those responsible and ensure exemplary punishment.
The leaders said the Rangpur killings had created fear among minority communities across the country and could encourage them to leave Bangladesh. They also said the incident had tarnished the country's image internationally.
They alleged that communal violence has continued in the country and claimed that 41 incidents of communal violence were reported across Bangladesh in July, based on information published in newspapers.
According to the organisation, the incidents included six killings, two rapes, 10 cases of vandalism and looting of temples and idols, two arrests on allegations of religious defamation, five attacks on indigenous people, 10 attacks, vandalism and looting of homes and business establishments, two incidents of forcible land grabbing and four other incidents.
