The wife of a Hindu man who was attacked with sharp weapons and set on fire in Bangladesh is struggling to comprehend why her family has been thrust into unimaginable horror.
Speaking from a hospital in Dhaka, Seema Das said there had been no disputes or tensions in their village that could explain the brutal assault on her husband, Khokon Chandra Das.
“We had no quarrel with anyone. We don’t understand why my husband was suddenly targeted,” she told NDTV in Bangla, her voice breaking as she fought back tears.
A Sudden Attack, A Family Shattered
Khokon Das’ name has now been added to a growing list of Hindus who have faced violent attacks in the crisis-hit, Muslim-majority nation, with several incidents allegedly driven by religious identity. For his family, the violence feels both shocking and deeply personal.
“We are Hindu. We only want to live peacefully,” Seema Das said. She alleged that the attackers were Muslims and said police were attempting to arrest those responsible. “I request the government to help us,” she pleaded.
‘They Recognised Him’
According to Seema Das, her husband managed to identify two of the attackers during the assault, a moment that may have sealed his fate. “That’s why they poured petrol on his head and face and set him on fire,” she said.
A local resident accompanying the family translated her account and later shared an update from doctors, saying surgery had been completed on one of Khokon Das’ eyes and that he would soon be shifted to the intensive care unit.
Khokon Das ran a small medicine shop and also provided mobile banking services in his village, around 150 kilometres from the capital, Dhaka. The attack took place on Wednesday evening as he was returning home after closing his shop. In a desperate attempt to save himself, he jumped into a nearby pond, which helped extinguish the flames that had nearly consumed his head and face. The attackers fled soon after.
Villagers initially rushed him to a nearby hospital, but doctors later referred him to a larger facility in Dhaka due to the severity of his injuries.
The couple has three children. Seema Das said one of them was told that their father had lost a significant amount of blood and required at least six units to stabilise his condition. As she spoke to NDTV inside Dhaka Medical College, she clutched her youngest son tightly.
‘No Communal Angle Involved’
Several people from their village, including a Muslim man, travelled to Dhaka to support the family. He said he was doing everything possible to help and insisted the incident should not be seen as communal. When asked about the wider pattern of attacks on Hindus in the country, he said investigations were underway.
Bangladesh has witnessed a rise in violence against minorities, including Hindus, under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, drawing condemnation from people and human rights organisations worldwide. While officials associated with Yunus maintain that minorities are being protected, accounts from the ground have raised serious concerns.
India Voices Concern
Last week, India expressed grave concern over what it described as “unremitting hostility” against minorities in Bangladesh, saying it was closely monitoring developments in the neighbouring country. In response, the Bangladesh government reiterated its commitment to safeguarding minority communities.
