Wife recounts horror as Hindu businessman hacked, set ablaze in Bangladesh

Disturbing details have surfaced following a violent attack on a Hindu businessman in Bangladesh’s Damudya area, where he was reportedly hacked and set ablaze by unidentified assailants on Wednesday.

The victim has been identified as 50-year-old Khokon Chandra Das. According to his wife, the attackers poured gasoline on his head and face before setting him on fire.

Das, who operates a medicine shop and is also involved in mobile banking services at Keurbhanga Bazar, sustained critical injuries in the attack and is currently undergoing treatment in Dhaka.

The incident occurred late Wednesday evening near Keurbhanga Bazar in Kaneshwar Union of Damudya, Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo reported.

Recounting the incident, Khokon’s wife Seema Das said her husband was assaulted while returning home from work. “My husband closes the shop every night and returns home with the money from the day's sales. Terrorists attacked him on Wednesday night. He recognized two of the attackers, which is why they hacked him to death, poured gasoline on his head and face and set him on fire,” she was quoted as saying by Prothom Alo.

Seema further said the family had no known disputes or enmity in the area. “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,” she said.

Police said two individuals—Rabbi and Sohag—have been named in the case. Damudya Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Rabiul Haque confirmed their identification.

According to reports, Das was travelling home in an autorickshaw after closing his shop and collecting the day’s earnings when he was intercepted by miscreants near Keurbhanga Bazar on the Damudya–Shariatpur road. The attackers allegedly stopped the vehicle, assaulted him with sharp weapons, and then poured petrol on him before setting him on fire.

In an attempt to escape, Das reportedly jumped into a pond beside the road. The attackers fled after locals raised an alarm. Police said residents rescued him and initially took him to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, from where he was later referred to Dhaka due to the seriousness of his injuries.

The attack comes amid a series of violent incidents involving members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Weeks earlier, another Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched by a mob and his body set on fire over allegations of blasphemy in Mymensingh. On December 24, a Hindu man identified as Amrit Mondal was lynched in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari town over alleged extortion.

According to Bangladesh’s 2022 census, the country’s Hindu population stands at approximately 13.13 million, accounting for around 7.95 percent of the total population.