A 23-year-old Hindu man was burnt alive inside his workplace in Narsingdi, Bangladesh, in a horrifying incident that his family and neighbours have described as a premeditated killing. The victim, Chanchal Bhowmik, was killed late on Friday night, January 23, after unidentified assailants allegedly set fire to the garage where he worked and slept.

According to eyewitnesses, the attacker shut the garage’s shutter from outside, poured petrol, and ignited the structure while Bhowmik was asleep inside. The assailant reportedly remained outside until the victim perished before fleeing the scene.

Sole Breadwinner With No Known Enemies

Bhowmik, originally from Lakshmipur village in Cumilla district, had been working at the garage in Narsingdi for six years and lived there as part of his job. He was the sole breadwinner for his family, supporting his ailing mother, a disabled elder brother, and a younger sibling following the death of his father.

Neighbours and the garage owner described him as a “simple, quiet, and honest young man” with no known disputes or personal enmity. His family has termed the killing a “planned murder” and alleged that religious hatred may have been the motive behind the attack.

CCTV Footage Under Scrutiny

CCTV footage from the area reportedly shows a person setting fire to the garage from outside before the blaze rapidly engulfed the building. Residents alerted the fire service, but it took nearly an hour to bring the fire under control. Firefighters later recovered Bhowmik’s charred body from inside the structure.

Police said evidence has been collected from the scene and CCTV footage is being examined. The process of registering a formal case is underway, though no arrests have been announced so far.

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Community Outrage 

The killing has sparked tension in the locality, with leaders of the local Hindu community strongly condemning the incident and demanding swift justice. They also urged the administration to take concrete steps to ensure the safety of religious minorities.

The incident comes amid a string of violent attacks targeting minorities in Bangladesh in recent months, including mob lynchings and killings linked to alleged religious and social tensions.

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