Another Hindu man attacked, set on fire in Bangladesh; fourth such incident in two weeks
The latest assault came just a day after another Hindu man, Bajendra Biswas, was shot dead while on security duty at a garment factory in Mymensingh.
PTC News Desk: A Hindu businessman in Bangladesh narrowly survived a brutal mob attack, marking the fourth such assault on the minority community in the last two weeks. The victim, 40-year-old Khokan Chandra, was beaten, stabbed and set on fire on New Year’s Eve but managed to save himself by jumping into a nearby pond, though he suffered severe burn injuries.
The incident occurred around 9 pm as Khokan was returning home after closing his pharmacy in Keurbhanga Bazar. In the Tiloi area, he was intercepted by a group of attackers who assaulted him, stabbed him with sharp weapons, doused him in petrol and set him ablaze. Locals later rescued him and rushed him to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, where doctors said his condition remains critical. The motive and identities of the attackers are still unclear.
The attack has further alarmed Bangladesh’s Hindu community amid a series of violent incidents following the killing of anti-India youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Protests over Hadi’s death have taken a strong anti-India turn, with claims that the suspects fled to India.
The latest assault came just a day after another Hindu man, Bajendra Biswas, was shot dead while on security duty at a garment factory in Mymensingh. Reports said the accused, Noman Mia, questioned him before opening fire. Both were members of the Ansar Bahini and were deployed as guards at the factory.
Earlier, Amrit Mondal was lynched over alleged extortion, and factory worker Dipu Chandra Das was killed following blasphemy accusations—incidents that sparked widespread criticism and international concern over the safety of minorities in Bangladesh. India has expressed serious worry over what it described as continuing hostility towards minority communities in the country.