Who Is Khokon Das? Hindu Man Brutally Attacked, Critically Injured And Set On Fire By Mob In Bangladesh | India News

Bangladesh witnessed yet another attack on a Hindu man on 31 December, as concerns mount over escalating violence against religious minorities in the country. Khokon Das, 50, was allegedly assaulted with sharp weapons by a mob, beaten, and set on fire while on his way home in the Shariatpur district. This incident marks the fourth attack on Hindus in Bangladesh in two weeks.

The brutality of the assault has sparked outrage among rights groups who note an alarming rise in targeted violence, as per NDTV reports.

On 24 December, 29-year-old Amrit Mondal was reportedly lynched by a mob in the Hossaindanga area of ​​Kalimohar Union, while on 18 December, 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das was brutally killed in Bhaluka Upazila of Mymensingh. In that attack, Das was accused of blasphemy by a Muslim coworker, killed by a mob, and his body was hung from a tree before being set ablaze.

The spate of attacks has drawn international criticism, with human rights organizations and neighboring India expressing concern over the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.

Last week, India raised objections to what it described as the “unremitting hostility” faced by Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists in Bangladesh, stating it was monitoring the situation closely.

The Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed India’s concerns, calling them “incorrect, exaggerated, and misleading,” the ministry said.

“We observe that there are systematic attempts to portray isolated incidents of criminal acts as systematic persecution of Hindus and to maliciously use them to spread anti-Bangladesh sentiments in various parts of India… isolated incidents are exaggerated, misrepresented, and publicized in order to incite ordinary Indians against Bangladesh.”

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina criticized the interim Yunus-led government, saying it “fails to protect religious minorities and allows extremists to dictate foreign policy.” She added,

“This hostility is being manufactured by extremists who have been emboldened by the Yunus regime. These are the same actors who marched on the Indian Embassy and attacked our media offices, who attack minorities with impunity, and who forced me and my family to flee for our lives… A responsible government would protect diplomatic missions and prosecute those who threaten them. Instead, Yunus grants immunity to hooligans and calls them warriors.”

Amid these tensions, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Dhaka on 31 December to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. During his four-hour visit, he met her son and Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman, delivering a letter of condolence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit comes amid frosty diplomatic relations following the rise of the Yunus interim government.