A 50 year old Hindu man in Bangladesh is fighting for his life after he was stabbed and set on fire by a group of people. This is the latest troubling act of violence in the country against a religious minority.
People say that Khokon Das was on his way home on December 31 when he was stopped by a group of people in Shariatpur district. Local news sources say that the attackers hit him hard with sharp objects, covered him in gasoline, and then set him on fire.
Das saved his own life by jumping into a nearby pond, even though he had been stabbed and burned many times. Later, people in the area pulled him out and took him to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, where doctors said his situation was very bad.
Growing Pattern of Attacks on Minority Communities
This event is part of a larger trend of violence in Bangladesh against Hindus. Several mob attacks have happened in the past few weeks because of the unrest caused by the death of young leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
Last week, a group of people in Mymensingh beat and burned to death garment worker Dipu Chandra Das while others filmed the attack.
Another case is that of Amrit Mondal, who was 29 years old, who was reportedly lynched in the Hossaindanga area of Kalimohar Union on December 24. Separately, a 40-year-old Hindu man was killed when he was shot in a clothing plant by a coworker. Police said it was an accident.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, there have been almost 2,900 attacks on minorities in Bangladesh since the country got an interim government. Bangladesh is in the middle of a temporary government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. The country is dealing with political uncertainty as it gets ready for elections, and minority groups are feeling more afraid because law and order are getting worse.
India voiced its concerns
Around the same time as the event, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar went to Dhaka to attend the funeral of Khaleda Zia, the former prime minister of Bangladesh. While he was there, Jaishankar gave BNP head Tarique Rahman a message of condolence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
When the meeting was over, Bangladesh said it hoped to work with India again. Riaz Hamidullah, Bangladesh High Commissioner of India, wrote on social media that this was both countries’ goal: to strengthen ties based on shared values, practicality, and dependence on each other.
The attack happened at the same time as Jaishankar’s official visit. This has brought attention once more to the growing dangers religious minorities face in Bangladesh, which is a problem that continues to make relations between the two countries tense.
