Hindu petrol pump worker crushed to death in Bangladesh’s Rajbari

A Hindu man was crushed to death at a Bangladesh petrol pump while demanding fuel payment, as minority groups warn of rising violence ahead of elections

PGurus Newsdesk

January 17, 2026

Fuel station worker killed as SUV flees without paying in Bangladesh

Victim tried to stop SUV fleeing without paying for fuel

A 30-year-old Hindu fuel station worker was run over and killed in Bangladesh after he demanded payment from customers attempting to flee without paying for petrol, underscoring continuing concerns over violence and impunity amid rising attacks on minorities.

The victim, Ripon Saha, was working at Karim Filling Station in Goalanda Mor in Rajbari district early Friday when a black SUV refuelled and attempted to leave without paying. When Saha stood in front of the vehicle to stop it, the driver allegedly ran him over and fled, killing him on the spot.

Police and eyewitnesses said the SUV took fuel worth approximately Tk 5,000 (around Rs 3,710) at about 4:30 am. “We will file a murder case. The worker stood in front of the car after they refused to pay for fuel, and they ran him over before fleeing,” Rajbari Sadar police chief Khondakar Ziaur Rahman told bdnews24.com.

Authorities later seized the vehicle and arrested its owner, Abul Hashem alias Sujan, 55, and the driver, Kamal Hossain, 43. Police said Hashem is a contractor and a former treasurer of the Rajbari district Bangladesh Nationalist Party, as well as a former president of the party’s youth wing, Jubo Dal.

The killing comes amid a broader climate of fear among minority communities in Bangladesh. Hindus, who constitute about 7.95 per cent of the population according to the 2022 census, have reported a steady rise in violence, intimidation and targeted attacks in recent months.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council expressed grave concern over what it described as escalating communal violence, alleging that at least 51 incidents were recorded in December 2025 alone. The organisation warned that with national elections approaching, minority communities were increasingly being targeted to discourage them from voting freely.

India has also raised concerns over the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh, criticising what it called a pattern of downplaying attacks by attributing them to personal disputes or non-communal causes. New Delhi has warned that such narratives only embolden extremist elements and deepen the sense of insecurity among vulnerable communities.

While police said it was not immediately clear whether there was a communal motive behind Saha’s killing, minority rights groups argue that repeated acts of violence, lack of deterrence and political patronage have created an environment where such crimes continue with alarming regularity.

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