Bangladesh on Edge: Tarique Rahman Returns Amid Unrest and Violence

Bangladesh is reeling under a wave of violence and unrest, with a Hindu man being killed in Rajbari over extortion allegations. Amrit Mondal, also known as Samrat, was shot and killed by a group of men, with one of his associates arrested and a pistol and a one-shooter gun recovered from his possession. In a separate incident, a bomb was hurled from a flyover in Dhaka's Moghbazar area, killing one person instantly. The violence comes amidst a tense situation in the country, a week after the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi in a hospital in Singapore. Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has returned to Dhaka after 17 years of living in exile in London. His return is seen as a significant development ahead of the country's upcoming elections in February 2026, with Rahman being one of the strong contenders for the prime ministerial post. The situation remains grim, with protesters taking to the streets demanding justice for Hadi's killers. The Bangladesh government has assured that the murder case will be tried under the Speedy Trial Tribunal, and the family of the killed Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, is being taken care of by the government. The killing of Dipu Chandra Das has led to protests near Bangladesh missions in India, straining ties between the two countries. At least seven Indian cities have seen people turning out in huge numbers to protest the killing, with both countries summoning each other's envoys amid security concerns.