Shanto Khan: In an escalation of violence, Bangladesh actor Shanto Khan and his father, Selim Khan, are said to have been brutally lynched late Monday night. Sentiments are going across this region now. The incident took place in the backdrop of continuing violence and anti-government demonstrations in Bangladesh. Reports of PTI state that a mob attacked the father-son duo, which was a known face in Bangladeshi film circles.
Motive Behind the Brutal Killing Remains Unclear
Still not clear is the motive behind the killing. But Selim Khan was the expelled leader of the ruling Awami League party, which is now in much turmoil and violence towards its members by anti-government demonstrators. The killing incident happened on the same day the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, resigned and eloped to India with her sister to escape what is now a heightened political crisis in Bangladesh.
The news of Shanto Khan and Selim Khan’s death has shocked Kolkata lodged film industry where Khan is known and respected. Tollywood actor Rajatabha Datta found the news very alarming and tragic. Datta had completed his latest movie ‘Bikkhov’ or Resentment alongside Shanto Khan in 2022. The film is a Bangladeshi movie. He returned the ode, stating the actor was quite cooperative and respect[…], and his untimely death indeed became a tragic loss to the artistic community. “Artists like us who are alive to and survive only on art and creativity are therefore always in pursuit of peace, amity, and brotherhood,” Dutta said.
Tragic Death of Bangladeshi Actor Shanto Khan and His Father Amidst Political Turmoil
Actresses Kaushani Mukhopadhyay also condoled the death, recalling the warmth of Shanto Khan during the shooting of the film ‘Piya Re’ in Bangladesh. She hoped things would get back to normal soon- a sentiment echoed by most in the film industry. Filmmaker Raj Chakraborty and producer-director Parambrata Chatterjee, both of whom too had worked with Bangladeshi talents reacted in disbelief. Chatterjee condemned the vandalism and violence going on in the neighboring country.
Shanto Khan was another new face with a promising career; he debuted in 2019 with the film ‘Prem Chor.’ His recent work includes ‘Piye Re’ (2021), ‘Bubujaan’ (2023), and ‘Anto Nagar’ (2024). Significantly, his role in ‘Tungiparar Miya Bhai’ in 2021, portraying a young Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, added history to his filmography. Mujibur Rahman was father to the present Sheikh Hasina, further linking Khan’s work to the current political crisis.
Film Industry Reacts
Bangladesh went into the spill of violence that first erupted as a protest against the quota in jobs reserved for the government; this took the shape of ferocious agitation against the government. More than 400 people are feared to have been killed. In an attempt to evade the turbulent situation, Sheikh Hasina has taken refuge in India and is currently in hiding there with a view to applying for asylum in a European country in the name of her security.
Tragic Deaths Highlight Widespread Political Unrest
Top Nobel laureate set for adviser role: In a major development, Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus is set to be sworn in as the chief advisor of the interim government on Thursday evening. On a Europe tour, Mr. Yunus is among the figures that many protesting students see as leading the potential. His appointment comes following the country’s president, Mohammed Shahabuddin, who took the step of dissolving Parliament and appointed Yunus as the head of the interim government.
The tragic deaths of Shanto Khan and Selim Khan underline the extremely desperate limits to which the situation has reached not only in Bangladesh but also the wider negative effects such political unrest has on life and people.