Night of Terror in Bangladesh: Hindu Pharmacist Stabbed, Burnt Alive Attempted as Lawlessness Tightens Its Grip

A chilling account of brutality unfolded on the night of December 31 in Bangladesh’s Shariatpur district, where a Hindu businessman narrowly escaped death after being subjected to a savage, near-ritualistic attack that underscores the growing sense of fear and abandonment gripping religious minorities in the country.

Khokon Chandra Das, a 50-year-old pharmacist who runs a small medicine shop in the Keorbhanga area of Kaneshwar Union, was returning home after closing his pharmacy when a group of men ambushed him under the cover of darkness.

What followed was not merely an assault but a horrifying sequence of attempted murder that has sent shockwaves through the Hindu community.

According to eyewitness accounts carried by local media, the attackers stabbed Das repeatedly with sharp weapons, inflicting deep wounds across his body.

As he collapsed, bleeding and helpless, the assailants allegedly doused him with petrol and attempted to set him ablaze — an act that speaks not just of criminal intent, but of sheer hatred and dehumanisation.

In a desperate bid to survive, Das leapt into a nearby pond, extinguishing the flames before they could fully engulf him.

His screams eventually alerted villagers, who rushed to the spot and drove the attackers away.

By then, Das had already suffered severe burn injuries to his face and right hand, along with multiple stab wounds.

He was first taken to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, but as his condition rapidly worsened, doctors referred him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he remains in critical condition, battling for his life.

Damudya Police Station Officer-in-Charge Rabiul Haque reportedly told Bangladeshi media that the assailants had allegedly come with the intention of looting the pharmacy.

However, when Das recognised one of them, the attack allegedly turned murderous — a claim that has done little to reassure minorities already living in fear.

A Pattern of Bloodshed, Not an Isolated Crime

The attempted killing of Khokon Chandra Das is not an aberration. It is the fourth such violent incident targeting Hindus in Bangladesh in recent weeks.

Earlier this week, a Hindu man was shot dead inside a garment factory in Mymensingh district — officially described by police as an accidental firing by a colleague, a version many view with scepticism.

Just days before that, 29-year-old Amrit Mondal was allegedly lynched by a mob in the Hossaindanga area of Kalimohar Union.

Last month, another young Hindu, 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, was beaten to death by a mob in Bhaluka Upazila following false blasphemy allegations made by a Muslim coworker.

Each incident adds to a grim narrative of untold suffering, where Hindus are not merely attacked, but brutalised — stabbed, lynched, shot, and even set ablaze — as if their lives carry no value.

Eroding Rule of Law, Rising Fear

These attacks come at a time when Bangladesh is being run by an interim administration following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.

The political vacuum and administrative uncertainty have fuelled fears that the rule of law is rapidly eroding.

There is a growing belief — particularly in India — that such horrifying acts could only occur in an environment where perpetrators feel emboldened, confident that they will escape accountability.

Even if the attackers are local radicals, many ask, would they dare to burn a man alive if law enforcement and governance were truly functioning?

While there is anguish and anger that many of these crimes may go unpunished for now, there is also a firm conviction among observers that history does not forget such atrocities.

Justice may be delayed, but the perpetrators of these heinous crimes, many believe, will ultimately be held to account.

What happens next remains uncertain.

But the scars borne by victims like Khokon Chandra Das stand as a stark reminder of a nation’s moral and institutional crisis — one that time alone will judge.

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