Bangladeshi Actor Shanto Khan and Father Beaten to Death Amid Political Unrest
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Bangladeshi actor Shanto Khan and his father Selim Khan, the chairman of Laxmipur Model Union Parishad and a film producer, were beaten to death Monday by a mob during the unrest in Bangladesh.
According to local media reports, Shanto and his father were attempting to flee when they encountered an angry mob at Forkkabad Bazaar in Balia Union Parishad. A Dhaka Tribune report stated that they had fired shots from their pistol in defense; however, they encountered another mob near Bagara Bazaar, where they were ultimately beaten to death.
On Monday, Bangladesh witnessed violent protests, forcing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India. The protests, initially sparked by grievances over government job reservations, quickly escalated into demands for Hasina’s resignation. Reports indicated that several members of Hasina’s party, Awami League, were targeted. According to PTI, Selim Khan was an expelled leader of the Awami League and had been jailed for corruption. He was also facing a case by the Anti-Corruption Commission, as reported by Prothom Alo.
The news of their killings sent shockwaves through the Indian film industry. Filmmaker Sudipto Sen expressed his anguish over their deaths and urged a strong protest against the new regime in Bangladesh.
“Deeply anguished and angered by the mob-lynching of promising actor Shanto Khan and his producer father Selim Khan. This is not acceptable, and I strongly condemn this brutal killing. This is horrendous - this is unbelievable,” Sen said in a post on X.
Shanto made his debut in 2019 with the movie ‘Prem Chor’. He has also acted in movies like ‘Bikkhov’ (2022) and ‘Bubujaan’ (2023), according to IMDb. Selim owned the Dhaka-based media and entertainment company Shapla Media, which produced and distributed Bengali films.

Indian actor Rajatava Dutta told PTI, “I was stunned after hearing the news that he 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.”
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Actor Kaushani Mukhopadhyay, who starred opposite Shanto in ‘Piya Re’, said, “I got the deeply disturbing news late Monday night and have remained distressed ever since. Since I was senior in the industry, Shanto was very respectful towards me and shared his ambition of making a significant impact in the industry. I believe in the triumph of humanity and hope the situation will soon turn normal there.”Bangladesh is set to get its interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus on Thursday.