NEW DELHI — A Hindu man in Bangladesh was seriously injured after being attacked and set on fire by a mob, escaping death only by jumping into a nearby pond, according to local reports and family members.
The incident occurred on Dec. 31 in the Shariatpur district. The victim, Khokon Das, 50, was allegedly on his way home after closing his medical shop when he was confronted by a group of assailants.
According to his family, Das was stabbed in the lower abdomen, beaten and struck on the head before being doused with petrol and set ablaze. He survived by jumping into a nearby pond, which extinguished the flames.
Das’ wife said her husband is a simple man with no known disputes. “I don’t know who did this. We need justice. My husband did not harm anyone,” she said.
As his condition worsened, Das was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he remains under treatment.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents involving members of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority. It is reported to be the fourth such attack in the past two weeks.
On Dec. 24, a 29-year-old Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, was allegedly lynched by a mob in the Hossaindanga area of Kalimohar Union. Earlier, on Dec. 18, Dipu Chandra Das, 25, was killed in a mob attack in Bhaluka Upazila of Mymensingh following allegations of blasphemy. His body was later hung from a tree and set on fire, according to reports.
The incidents have intensified scrutiny of the situation facing religious minorities in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. Human rights groups and political leaders in the region have expressed concern over what they describe as escalating violence.
Last week, India said it was closely monitoring developments and raised concerns over what it called “unremitting hostility” toward minorities, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected India’s assessment, describing it as “incorrect, exaggerated and misleading.” In a statement, the ministry said isolated criminal acts were being portrayed as systematic persecution and used to spread anti-Bangladesh sentiment.
Former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted earlier, accused the interim government of failing to protect religious minorities and allowing extremists to influence policy. She said attacks on minorities and diplomatic missions were being carried out with impunity.
Meanwhile, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Dhaka on Dec. 31 to attend the funeral of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia. During the visit, he met Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman and delivered a condolence letter from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The visit came amid strained relations between India and Bangladesh following the formation of the interim government.