From ‘Crime’ to ‘Communal’ Narrative : How Indian Outlets Reframed Violence in Bangladesh

3. Businessman Murdered After Robbery

On January 3, The Hindu reported the murder of Khokon Chandra Das as part of what it described as recent attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh. The report framed the killing as communal by emphasizing the victim’s Hindu identity and presenting the incident as indicative of a “rise of a radical [right-wing] culture.” 

It further positioned the murder as part of “violence targeting the minority community” within what it termed Bangladesh’s “changed political landscape.”

Similarly, NDTV portrayed the incident as evidence of escalating “violence against minorities, including Hindus,” under the Muhammad Yunus–led interim government.

However, subsequent verification found no evidence of any communal or religious motive behind the killing of Khokon Chandra Das.

On December 31, 2025, in Damudya, Shariatpur, Khokon Chandra Das was attacked during a robbery, sustaining severe injuries after being hacked with sharp weapons, doused with petrol, and set on fire. He later died on January 3, 2026, while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the victim’s father, the attackers stabbed Das indiscriminately while attempting to steal a money bag. The FIR states that after Das recognized the assailants, they poured petrol on him and set him on fire with the intent to kill. The statement makes no reference to any communal or religious motive.

Police said preliminary investigations corroborate the account provided in the FIR and have found no indication of communal involvement in the crime. 

4. Ansar Member Killed in Accidental Shooting

On January 6, The Times of India reported the death of Ansar member Bajendra Biswas as evidence of “Bangladesh unrest,” claiming that the incident had “raised minority safety fears.” The report described the death as “fresh violence” and presented it as part of what it called a “grim pattern of attacks on the country’s Hindu minority.”

However, official accounts indicate that the incident was accidental. The shooting occurred at the Sultana Sweaters Limited factory of the Labib Group in the Mehrabari area of Bhaluka upazila, Mymensingh.

Bhaluka Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Zahidul Islam said that another Ansar member had jokingly pointed a firearm when it accidentally discharged, striking Bajendra Biswas. “We have already arrested the accused,” he said, adding that “there is no communal link to this incident.”

Local journalist Mukhlachur Rahman Monir, a correspondent for Kaler Kantho, also confirmed that no communal connection was found in the case.

5. Alleged Extortionist Beaten to Death

The same Times of India report also cited the death of Amrito Mondol, also known as Samrat (29), presenting the incident through a communal lens and suggesting that it reflected a “grim pattern of attacks on the country’s Hindu minority.”

However, available evidence indicates that the circumstances surrounding the killing were considerably more complex than the narrative presented in the report.

The incident occurred on December 24 in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari district. According to police and multiple local residents, Prothom Alo reported that Amrito Mondol had formed a local criminal gang bearing his name, which was involved in extortion and acts of intimidation in the surrounding areas.

Police and eyewitness accounts indicate that Mondol went to a residence in the Hosendanga Old Bazar area to demand extortion money. When the homeowner refused, Mondol returned the following day with other members of his group. Failing to find the homeowner, the group allegedly assaulted the homeowner’s son.

At one point, family members raised an alarm by shouting “thief, thief,” prompting local residents to gather. Mondol was subsequently beaten by the crowd and died at the scene. While other accomplices managed to flee, an associate identified as Selim was apprehended by locals.

6. Death by Poisoning Misreported as Communal

On January 10, NDTV published a report on the death of Joy Mohapatra, stating that “members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh continue to be targeted.” The report emphasized the victim’s religious identity and asserted that recent killings were “not isolated tragedies but signals of a systemic breakdown in the state’s ability to protect its most vulnerable citizens.”

The report further claimed a “sharp rise in violence targeting religious minorities” in Bangladesh, framing Mohapatra’s death as part of a broader pattern of communal violence. Similar narratives and framing were also carried by Indian television channels TV9 Bangla and Zee 24 Ghanta.

However, subsequent investigations found no evidence of any religious or communal motive behind Mohapatra’s death. On January 9, Joy Mohapatra died from poisoning in Bhangadahar village of Dirai upazila in Sunamganj. 

According to family members, the incident stemmed from a financial transaction dispute, and they rejected claims of communal targeting.

Enamul Haque Chowdhury, Officer-in-Charge of Dirai Police Station, said that Joy Mohapatra’s mother had filed a complaint and that the matter was under investigation. “However, there is no religious angle in this incident,” he said.

7. Auto-Rickshaw Driver’s Killing Not Communal

The Hindustan Times report published on January 12 serves as a textbook example of how sections of the Indian media frame criminal incidents in Bangladesh as communal. The report covered the murder of Samir Das, a 28-year-old auto-rickshaw driver from Feni.

The report situated it within a broader narrative of systematic communal violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, primarily through selective emphasis on the victim’s religious identity. The headline—“আরও ১ হিন্দুকে মেরে ফেলল বাংলাদেশ” (“Another Hindu killed in Bangladesh”)—foregrounded religious identity at the outset, framing the incident as communal before any investigative findings were presented.

The report further reinforced this framing through numerical aggregation, asserting that “at least nine Hindus have been murdered within a month.” 

Such claims create an impression of coordinated or targeted violence against a particular religious community. 

The narrative was escalated further through statements such as, “A campaign of Hindu killings is underway in Bangladesh, allegations claim,” shifting the framing from criminal violence to allegations of communal persecution.

Moreover, the report sought to delegitimize explanations by casting references to robbery, family disputes, or business rivalries as evasive tactics by authorities. 

This approach reinforces the notion that non-communal explanations are inherently suspect or politically motivated, thereby narrowing the interpretive frame to communal violence alone.

Similar patterns of framing were observed in coverage by India Today, Aaj Tak Bangla, and WION, which echoed comparable narratives and emphases.

However, official investigations contradict these portrayals. Muhammad Foyzul Azim, Officer-in-Charge of Daganbhuiyan Police Station, stated that police had spoken with the victim’s family and received a written complaint. “We are investigating the incident,” he said, adding that no communal or religious motive had been identified.

Family members of the victim also rejected claims of communal targeting, describing the incident as a criminal act rather than one rooted in religious hostility.

The case-by-case analysis indicates that sections of the Indian media have selectively highlighted the murders of Hindu individuals and framed these incidents as part of an organized campaign against the Hindu community. Across the reports examined, a consistent narrative is advanced, suggesting a sharp rise in Islamist or right-wing forces and portraying an escalation of violence against religious minorities during the period of the Yunus-led government.

The underlying objective of this framing appears to be the construction of a narrative that communal violence against Hindus intensified following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. Through selective reporting, aggregation of unrelated incidents, and the foregrounding of religious identity over verified motives, these outlets have sought to establish a predetermined conclusion.

Such coverage amounts to a distortion of facts and contributes to a coordinated smear campaign against Bangladesh.

This analysis does not deny that communal attacks have occurred in Bangladesh. However, the incidents that have been most widely circulated and framed as communal by these media outlets do not, upon investigation, demonstrate communal or religious motives.