Tension in Bangladesh village after Hindu woman’s cremation delayed

Banik, the wife of late Ganesh Banik and a resident of Jhikira Mohalla, died on Sunday. The dispute arose on Monday morning when her family arrived at the Ghoshgati Mahashamshan around 8:00 am to perform her last rites.

According to reports, Bablu Bhowmik, the custodian of the crematorium key, initially refused to hand it over to the family, preventing the cremation from proceeding.

“We were forced to take my mother’s body to the upazila premises and protest,” Santosh Babuk, the deceased’s son, told Dhaka Tribune.

Following the protest, the cremation was carried out peacefully after the intervention of Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) ATM Arif.

Local residents alleged mismanagement and misappropriation of funds by the crematorium management committee, which they said has undergone multiple name changes in recent years, Dhaka Tribune reported.

However, Bhowmik denied the allegations.