A businessman was attacked by a group of men in Bangladesh’s Shariatpur district on the night of December 31.
The victim, identified as Khokon Chandra Das, a pharmacy owner from the Keorbhanga area of Kaneshwar union in Damudya, was assaulted while returning home after closing his shop. According to police and local media reports, Das was travelling in a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw when miscreants stopped the vehicle near Keorbhanga Bazar around 9.30 pm.
Officials said the attackers dragged him out, beat him severely, stabbed him multiple times and then poured petrol on his body before setting him on fire. In a desperate attempt to save his life, Das jumped into a nearby pond. Hearing his screams, local villagers rushed to the spot, forcing the attackers to flee.
“I don’t know who did this. We need justice. My husband is a simple man. He did not harm anyone or hurt anyone,” Seema Das, the victim’s wife, said, according to local media reports. Recalling the horror, she added, “When I got the news, I went to the spot and saw my husband’s body on fire. He had been stabbed in several parts of his head and body. His condition is very bad.”
Das was first taken to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, where he was given emergency treatment. As his condition worsened, doctors referred him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced care. His condition is reported to be critical.
A doctor at Shariatpur Sadar Hospital said the businessman had suffered serious injuries. “He had stab wounds in different parts of his body. One of the injuries to the abdomen was severe. There were also burn marks on his face, the back of his head and his hands,” the doctor said.
Damudya Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Rabiul Haque said police reached the spot after receiving information about the attack. “Two of the attackers have been identified. They are local men named Rabbi and Sohag. Efforts are underway to arrest them, and we are also trying to find out if others were involved,” he said.
The attack on Khokon Chandra Das is the latest in a series of incidents targeting Hindus in Bangladesh in recent weeks. Earlier this week, a man was shot dead inside a garment factory in Mymensingh district. Last week, a 29-year-old youth, Amrit Mondal, was allegedly lynched by a mob in Kalimohar Union. In December, 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das was reportedly lynched following false blasphemy allegations at a factory in Bhaluka, also in Mymensingh.
