Horror in Bangladesh: Hindu youth brutally tortured and killed in military custody

Sanjoy Kumar Barua

A Hindu young man’s tragic death after alleged brutal torture in military custody has shaken the community in Bangladesh’s Kishoreganj.

.21-year-old Hriday Ravi Das tragically passed away early Saturday morning at President Abdul Hamid Medical College in Karimganj, prompting family members and local residents to demand justice and answers.

Hriday, the second son of Juges Ravi Das, a rickshaw puller from the Jayka Baruk Bazar area, had been building a quiet life as a hairdresser in Noabad Bhuiyan Bazar.

But his life took a sudden, controversial turn after he began a relationship with a 16-year-old orphaned Muslim girl from the same neighborhood.

Sources close to the family say the relationship was met with strong opposition from the girl’s relatives, setting the stage for a sequence of tragic events.

On Friday evening, Hriday left his home in Jayka to visit his workplace (salon) in Bhuiyan Bazar.

It was there, according to sources, that some of the girl’s relatives allegedly called him and his cousin, Shakeel Ravi Das, to a nearby clubhouse.

Among those present at the meeting were influential local figures, including Mostafa Kamal, the Chairman of Noabad Union Parishad, and Manjil Mia, President of the Market Committee.

What followed has sparked a wave of suspicion and grief.

Hriday and his cousin were reportedly detained for over an hour, questioned, and then handed over to the military.

Hriday’s father, Juges, recounted his frantic search: “I was driving my rickshaw in the market when I heard my son had been taken to the army camp. I rushed there with my wife, pleading with the soldiers to let us see him.”

It wasn’t until two hours later that Juges saw his son being escorted out of the army camp, visibly unwell, and rushed to the hospital. But by then, it was too late.

Hriday was taken to President Abdul Hamid Medical College Hospital, where his family, unable to accompany him, was left in the dark about his condition.

The family’s nightmare deepened when, at 6 a.m. on Saturday, Juges received a call from the hospital who said his son was critically ill and needed immediate attention.

Rushing to the facility, the family was devastated to find Hriday’s lifeless body.

The authorities performed an autopsy later that day, and his body was sent home for burial by late afternoon.

Hriday’s remains were laid to rest at the Khudargao Bhatoa crematorium at approximately 11 p.m.

Lieutenant Colonel Riazul Karim, a senior officer from the Karimganj military, confirmed that Hriday had been handed over to the army by local residents. According to Karim, Hriday’s mobile phone contained crucial information regarding the case, which prompted a late-night interrogation.

The officer stated that Hriday had been questioned in connection with the girl’s alleged coercion, and that the interrogation had uncovered significant

“But as the night progressed, Hriday’s condition deteriorated rapidly and he suddenly fell ill,” Karim said.

Despite being rushed to both the Upazila Health Complex and then Abdul Hamid Medical College Hospital, Hriday succumbed to what the military is now attributing to a heart attack.

Eyewitnesses and close relatives have raised serious concerns over the circumstances of the incident, pointing to inconsistencies in the army’s account.

They are calling for a comprehensive independent investigation to uncover the truth.

The case has ignited widespread outrage within the community, with local leaders and activists demanding full transparency and accountability from the military.