Hindu businessman succumbs to injuries three days after brutal attack in Bangladesh

A Hindu businessman who was brutally attacked, hacked and set on fire in Bangladesh died on January 3, after battling for life for three days, according to media reports and a minority rights group.
The victim, Khokon Chandra Das (50), was assaulted near Keurbhanga Bazar in Damudya area of Shariatpur district, around 100 km south of Dhaka, on Wednesday night while returning home after closing his shop.
Confirming his death, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council spokesman Kajol Debnath said Das died on Saturday morning due to the severity of his injuries. “This is the fifth death of a Hindu man in one month. During December alone, we recorded at least seven attacks on the community,” Debnath said.
According to reports, Das, who ran a medicine shop and mobile banking business, was travelling in an autorickshaw when attackers intercepted the vehicle. He was allegedly beaten, hacked with sharp weapons, doused with petrol and set on fire. In a desperate attempt to save himself, Das jumped into a roadside pond as locals raised an alarm, prompting the attackers to flee.
Police said locals rescued him and rushed him to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, from where he was referred to Dhaka due to the critical nature of his injuries. Doctors said Das suffered multiple injuries, including a deep abdominal wound, along with severe burn injuries to his face, head and hands.
Expressing concern, Debnath said the repeated attacks indicated an attempt by radical rightwing groups to intimidate minority communities. “The use of petrol or gunpowder to torch people or their homes is an ominous sign. These are not isolated criminal acts; it may indicate the rise of a radical culture,” he said.
The incident comes amid a series of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh in recent weeks. On December 18, 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das was allegedly lynched and set on fire over claims of blasphemy in Mymensingh. On December 23, unidentified persons torched the house of Qatar expatriate workers Shukh Shil and Anil Shil in the Raojan area near Chattogram, though the occupants escaped unharmed. A day later, Amrit Mondal, another Hindu man, was lynched over alleged extortion in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari district.
According to the 2022 census, Bangladesh’s Hindu population stands at around 13.13 million, accounting for 7.95 per cent of the country’s total population.