A Hindu businessman in Bangladesh had a narrow escape after he was brutally attacked by a mob on New Year’s Eve, marking the fourth such incident targeting members of the minority community in the past two weeks. The victim, identified as Khokan Chandra, was beaten, stabbed and set on fire before managing to save himself by jumping into a nearby pond. He sustained serious burn injuries and is currently in critical condition.
The attack took place around 9 pm as Khokan, 40, was returning home after closing his pharmacy in Keurbhanga Bazar. When he reached the Tiloi area, a group of miscreants intercepted him, assaulted him violently and stabbed him multiple times with sharp weapons. The attackers then poured petrol on him and set him ablaze. Despite his injuries, Khokan managed to leap into a nearby pond, which helped extinguish the flames. Locals later rescued him and rushed him to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, where doctors confirmed his condition remains serious.
The motive behind the attack and the identities of the assailants have not yet been established, and police are continuing their investigation. The incident has further heightened fear among Bangladesh’s Hindu community, which has been reeling from a series of violent attacks in recent weeks. Tensions have been especially high following the killing of anti-India youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, after which protests took on a sharply anti-India tone amid claims that those responsible had fled across the border.
The attack on Khokan came just a day after another Hindu man, Bajendra Biswas, was shot dead while on duty at a garment factory in Mymensingh. According to local reports, the accused, Noman Mia, allegedly asked Biswas, “Do I shoot you?” before pulling the trigger. Both men were members of the Ansar Bahini, a paramilitary auxiliary force under Bangladesh’s Home Ministry, and were deployed as security guards at the factory along with other personnel.
These incidents follow a string of violent episodes targeting Hindus in Bangladesh. Last week, a man named Amrit Mondal was lynched over alleged extortion, while earlier, factory worker Dipu Chandra Das was beaten to death over blasphemy accusations. The repeated attacks have sparked widespread concern and condemnation, with India expressing grave alarm over what it described as “unremitting hostility” towards minorities in Bangladesh.
