A Bangladeshi actor and his father were lynched on Monday night, amidst widespread turmoil in the country. A mob killed actor Shanto Khan and his father Selim Khan, the owner of a well-known Bangladeshi production firm, according to news agency PTI.
Selim Khan was an expelled leader of Awami League
There is no confirmed motive for the violent slaying of the father-son duo. However, Selim Khan was apparently an expelled leader of the Awami League, whose members have been subjected to frequent attacks in recent weeks as part of violent anti-government demonstrations.
The party’s leader, Sheikh Hasina, resigned as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister on Monday and fled to India with her sister. Shanto Khan and Selim Khan were lynched on the same day.
Also read: BJI Amir Shafiqur Rahman condemns Anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh
Kolkata film industry stunned by the brutal lynching
The actor’s gruesome execution sent shockwaves across the Kolkata film industry, with many Tollywood performers saying they were “stunned” to hear the news.
“I was stunned when I learned that he and his father had been killed. We don’t know what happened that caused their deaths. It breaks my heart to discover that they were killed. “Artists like us, who thrive on art and creativity, yearn for peace, amity, and brotherhood,” said famed Tollywood actor Rajatabha Dutta to news agency PTI.
Rajatabha Dutta collaborated with Shanto Khan on the 2022 Bangladeshi film ‘Bikkhov’ (Resentment) and described the actor as cooperative and respectful on set.
Also read: Bangladesh Anti-Hindu Violence: Singer Rahul Ananda’s house vandalised; set on fire
Who is Shanto Khan?
Shanto Khan made his debut with ‘Prem Chor’ in 2019 and has since worked on ‘Piye Re’ in 2021, ‘Bubujaan’ in 2023, and ‘Anto Nagar’ in 2024.
In the 2021 film ‘Tungiparar Miya Bhai’, the young actor portrays a youthful Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Notably, Mujibur Rahman was Sheikh Hasina’s father.
Also read: What challenge does the deteriorating situation in Bangladesh bring for India?
Bangladesh is in turmoil, which began with protests about government employment quotas but has escalated into violent anti-government demonstrations in recent weeks. The turmoil has resulted in massacres, with more than 400 individuals dead thus far.
