Hindu man who was attacked, set on fire in Bangladesh dies; fourth killing in two months
PTC News Desk: Khokon Chandra Das, a Hindu man in Bangladesh who was attacked with sharp weapons and then set on fire, died on Friday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka, his family said.
Khokon Das ran a small medicine shop and mobile banking service in his village, about 150 km from the capital. He was attacked on Wednesday while returning home after closing his shop. During the attack, he jumped into a pond, which helped put out the fire that had badly burned his head and face. The attackers then ran away.
His wife, Seema Das, earlier said she could not understand why her husband was targeted so violently, as the family had no disputes with anyone in the area. “We have no conflict with anyone. We don’t know why my husband was attacked,” she said in Bangla, breaking down outside the hospital.
Khokon Das’ death has added to a growing number of cases in which Hindus in the Muslim-majority country, currently facing unrest, have been allegedly attacked and killed because of their religious identity.
Seema Das said the attackers were Muslims and appealed to the police and the Bangladesh government to help her family. She added that her husband was set on fire after he recognised two of the attackers.
Bangladesh has recently seen rising violence against minorities, including Hindus, under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. This has caused anger and concern among people and several human rights groups around the world. While officials linked to Yunus say minorities are being protected, reports from the ground suggest otherwise.
India has repeatedly expressed serious concern over what it called continuing hostility towards minorities in Bangladesh and said it is closely monitoring the situation. The Bangladesh government, meanwhile, has said it remains committed to ensuring the safety and protection of minorities.
- With inputs from agencies
