A Hindu man died in a blaze at a car repair workshop in Bangladesh while he was sleeping after an unidentified person was seen lighting a fire outside the premises, police said on Sunday.
However, it was not yet clear whether the incident that took place in Narsingdi district on Friday was intentional or accidental, and an investigation was underway to ascertain the cause of the fire, police said.
The victim has been identified as 25-year-old Chanchal Bhowmik, Narsingdi Superintendent of Police Abdullah Al Faruq told PTI.
The incident occurred when he was asleep inside the workshop.
"A case has been filed, and an investigation is underway into the death of Bhowmik,” Faruq said.
He said police obtained video footage from the area showing an unidentified man lighting a fire using straw to keep warm on a winter night, which later spread into the workshop.
“The face of the man is not clear, but the footage shows he remained there for a long time,” Faruq said, adding that efforts are on to identify and trace the person.
On 19 January, a statement issued by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said the majority of incidents involving members of minority communities in Bangladesh during 2025 were "criminal in nature" and not driven by communal motives.
"While every incident is a matter of concern, the data presents a clear and evidence-based picture: the overwhelming majority of cases were criminal in nature rather than communal," it said.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Hindu community, including Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council President Bashudeb Dhar, said they are examining the incident and would comment after a thorough review.