Another Hindu man brutally attacked, set on fire in Bangladesh

Dhaka: In yet another heinous incident spotlighting the escalating attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, another Hindu man was brutally hacked and seriously injured by a mob of miscreants in Damudya upazila of Shariatpur district, before the assailants poured petrol on him and set him on fire, local media reported.

The victim, identified as 50-year-old Khokon Chandra Das, has been referred to Dhaka for advanced medical treatment after his condition deteriorated.

The incident occurred near Keurbhanga Bazar in Kaneshwar Union of Damudya late Wednesday.

Citing sources at Damudya police station, leading Bengali daily in Bangladesh, ‘Prothom Alo’, reported that Khokon Chandra Das runs a medicine and mobile banking business in Keurbhanga Bazar. He was returning home in a CNG-powered auto rickshaw after closing his shop on Wednesday night with the day’s earnings when miscreants stopped the vehicle near Keurbhanga Bazar on the Damudya-Shariatpur road, hacked and injured him and then poured petrol on his head and set him on fire.

To escape the mob, Khokon Chandra Das jumped into a pond beside the road. He was reportedly rescued by the locals and then rushed to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital. After receiving first aid in the emergency department, he was sent to Dhaka at night for advanced medical treatment.

Confirming the incident, Damudya Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Rabiul Haque said, “We went to the scene after receiving information about a terrorist attack on a businessman in Keurbhanga Bazar. The names of two of the attackers have been identified. They are local residents Rabbi and Sohag. Efforts are underway to arrest them. Efforts are being made to identify who else is involved in the incident.”

Nazrul Islam, a doctor at the emergency department of Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, told Prothom Alo that the person brought in on Wednesday night to the emergency department had multiple injury marks on his body. He has been referred to Dhaka for advanced medical treatment as one of the injuries to his stomach is serious, and he also had burn marks on his face, back of his head and hands.

“My husband closes the shop every night and returns home with the money from the day’s sales. Criminals attacked him on Wednesday night. He recognised two of the attackers, which is why they hacked him to death, poured gasoline on his head and face and set him on fire. We have no enemies in the area. We have no dispute with anyone on any issue. We don’t understand why the terrorists suddenly targeted my husband and attacked him,” Prothom Alo quoted Seema Das, the wife of injured Khokon Das, as saying.

This marked the second such act of brutality on another Hindu man in less than two days. Earlier on Monday, 40-year-old Bajendra Biswas was shot dead by a colleague in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh district.

On December 24, Bangladeshi media reported the killing of another Hindu youth, identified as 29-year-old Amrit Mondal, who was allegedly lynched by a mob in the Hossaindanga area of Kalimohar Union in Bangladesh.

Earlier on December 18, a 25-year-old Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, was brutally killed in a mob lynching incident over false blasphemy accusations by a Muslim coworker at his factory in Bhaluka Upazila of Mymensingh. The mob killed Das and then hung his body from a tree before setting it on fire.

Bangladesh has witnessed escalating violence against minorities, including Hindus, under the Yunus-led interim government, sparking outrage among people and several human rights organisations across the globe.

IANS