Bangladeshi Hindu Temple Caretaker Found Hanging From A Tree Three Days After He Went Missing

A Hindu temple caretaker in southeastern Bangladesh was found dead three days after disappearing, with police confirming a suspicious death and planning an autopsy. The case has raised concerns among minority communities and prompted calls for accountability and further investigation.

A Hindu temple caretaker in southeastern Bangladesh has been found dead, three days after disappearing. Police said the body of 40-year-old Nayan Sadhu was discovered hanging from a tree in a hilly area near his village.

According to investigators, two unidentified men took Sadhu away from his home in the Dohazari area on the evening of April 19. The body was later recovered on the village outskirts, when decomposition had already begun, police officials said.

Hindu temple caretaker death in Bangladesh under police investigation

Police stated that they have not yet confirmed whether the death is a case of murder or suicide. The body has been sent for autopsy to determine the exact cause, and officers are treating the matter as a suspicious death.

An investigation began after Sadhu’s spouse lodged a missing person’s complaint on April 19. Local residents joined the search, and the discovery of the body in a secluded hilly zone has raised concerns among minority community groups in the region.

Community response to Hindu temple caretaker death in Bangladesh

Sadhu lived in the Dohazari area under Sthania Upazila in Chhattogram district. According to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), Sadhu worked as a caretaker-cum-priest at a Shivakali temple in Khurushkul union under Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila.

The newspaper Kaler Kantha, quoted by PTI, cited an unnamed police official who said, "We recovered the body when it had started getting decomposed." The Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council’s Cox's Bazar unit general secretary Jony Dhar argued that the three-day gap strongly suggested murder.

Wider concerns after Hindu temple caretaker death in Bangladesh

In a statement, the Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council demanded strong legal action against those responsible for the killing. "The Unity Council strongly condemns the incident and demands immediate arrest and exemplary punishment against the perpetrators," the forum said.

BHBCUC senior member Kajal Debnath told PTI, "We just cannot understand what could be the motive of killing an ordinary caretaker of a relatively small temple in a remote area." Earlier, on April 9, the council reported 133 incidents of communal violence in Bangladesh between January 1 and March 31 this year.