Dhaka: Popular Bangladeshi actor Shanto Khan and his producer father Selim Khan were killed in a mob lynching incident in Chandpur, near Chittagong amid massive unrest in the country after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India.
Selim, who owned a major film production house, and Shanto were attacked by a mob hours after Hasina, her sister Rehana and some other members of the family left Dhaka on Monday afternoon, reported PTI.
Selim, a Sheikh Hasina loyalist, was expelled from the Awami League recently.
He and his son Shanto, a budding young actor, faced the wrath of violent protesters who targeted minorities and people linked to Hasina’s party Awami League.
Selim’s company Shapla Media produced several hit films in Bangladesh, many of which featured renowned West Bengal actors like Dev, Parambrata Chatterjee and Rajatabha Datta.
Shanto debuted in ‘Prem Chor’ in 2019, which was followed hits like ‘Piya Re’ and ‘Tungiparar Miya Bhai’ in 2021, ‘Bubujaan’ in 2023 and ‘Anto Nagar’ in 2024.
The brutal killings of the father-son duo sent shockwaves in the Kolkata film industry.
“I was stunned to hear the news that Shanto and his father were killed. We don’t know the circumstances leading to their deaths. It saddens my heart to learn they were killed. Artists like us who thrive on art and creativity always yearn for peace, amity and brotherhood,” said Rajatabha, who worked with Shanto in the 2022 movie ‘Bikkhov’.
Shanto played the role of a young Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – the architect of Bangladesh and father of Hasina — in the film ‘Tungiparar Miya Bhai’.
Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus will take oath as chief adviser of the interim government on Thursday evening.
