The attack on Khokon Chandra Das is the fourth time in recent weeks that Hindus have come under assault in Bangladesh.
Just a fortnight after a Hindu man was beaten to death, another Hindu man was stabbed and set on fire in Damudya Upazila area of Shariatpur district, Bangladesh, on Wednesday night, according to local media reports.
The man, identified as Khokon Chandra Das (45), is reported to have sustained serious injuries and has been admitted to a hospital in Dhaka.
According to reports, Das, who runs a pharmacy, was returning home when he was attacked by a group of miscreants at about 9 pm on Wednesday.
Das was travelling in an autorickshaw when the attackers intercepted the vehicle and allegedly beat him up, hacked him with sharp weapons and then poured petrol on him before setting him on fire, a PTI report said, citing Bengali daily Prothom Alo. In a bid to save himself, Das jumped into a roadside pond, prompting local residents to raise an alarm.
The attackers fled the scene, police said, adding that Das was rescued by local residents and taken to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, before being referred to Dhaka due to the severity of his injuries.
Nazrul Islam, a doctor in the Emergency department of Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, said Das suffered multiple injuries across his body, including a serious wound to his abdomen, along with burn injuries on his face, head and hands.
“The miscreants stabbed Das in the lower abdomen and snatched the cash and a mobile phone he had with him. Then they poured petrol on his body and set him on fire. To save his life, he jumped into the water. Local residents rescued him and took him to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital… The doctors advised that he be taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment,” The Daily Star quoted Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Damudya Police Station, Rabiul Haque, as saying.
Das’s wife, Seema, said the family could not understand why he was targeted. She claimed that her husband recognised two of the attackers, which is why they tried to kill him.
Haque said two men, identified as Rabbi and Sohag, have been named in the case. “Efforts are underway to arrest them and identify others involved in the attack,” he said.
Last month, Dipu Chandra Das, a worker in a garment factory in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district, was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy charges. His body was hanged and set on fire on December 18.
India condemned the killing last week. “The unremitting hostilities against the minorities in Bangladesh including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists is a matter of grave concern. We condemn the recent killing of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh and expect that the perpetrators of the crime will be brought to justice,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.
With PTI
RECENT ATTACKS ON HINDUS IN BANGLADESH
The attack on Das is the fourth time in recent weeks that Hindus have come under assault in Bangladesh.
Earlier this week, a Hindu man was shot dead inside a garment factory in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district, in what the police say was a case of accidental fire by a colleague.
Last week, a Hindu youth, identified as 29-year-old Amrit Mondal, was allegedly lynched by a mob in the Hossaindanga area of Kalimohar Union in Bangladesh.
Last month, a 25-year-old Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched by a mob over false blasphemy accusations by a Muslim coworker at his factory in Bhaluka Upazila of Mymensingh.
The attacks come at a time when there are growing concerns about the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh, which is ruled by an interim government following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.
