Khokon Chandra Das, age fifty, died at 7:20 a.m. on Saturday as he was getting treatment at the National Burn Institute in Dhaka – hospital staff said this. Doctors reported that about thirty percent of his body was burned; he had badly hurt his face and the passages he breathed through. He also had a deep cut in his stomach. Medical people said that, after almost three days in intensive care, they couldn’t help him.
Attack near Keurbhanga Bazar
The attack happened on December 31st close to Keurbhanga Bazar, in Koneshwar Union of Damudya Upazila, Shariatpur district. Police stated that the people who attacked Das stopped the auto-rickshaw he was in on the Damudya-Shariatpur road while he was on his way home after closing his drug store.
People who saw what happened say the attackers used knives and other sharp things, then poured petrol on him and set him on fire. Das, in panic, jumped into a pond nearby to put out the fire. People in the area quickly came to the place, and the attackers ran away.
Race to save his life
People from the area first took him to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, where doctors in the emergency room took care of many injuries – burns to his face, head, and hands, and a very bad stomach wound. When his health got worse, he was moved to Dhaka overnight for better treatment.
Doctors at the National Burn Institute worked hard on very bad damage to his airways, which happened because of the smoke he breathed in – a common problem in attacks with petrol fire. Despite giving him very strong treatment and burn care, his health got worse, and he died Saturday morning.
Police identify suspects, investigation underway
Damudya Police said Das lived in Tiloi village and operated a pharmacy and a mobile banking business at Keurbhanga Bazar. Detectives have named two local people they think might be involved – Rabbi and Sohag – and said they are trying to arrest them and find any other people who helped.
The police also said they are finishing the paperwork to return his body to his village. The authorities have asked anyone who has information about where the attackers were on the night of December 31st to tell them and help with the investigation.
His family says they can’t see why he was attacked. His wife, Seema Das, said her husband lived a quiet life and wasn’t in any arguments that anyone knew about. Family members said he knew two of the attackers, and they believe this might have been why they so brutally tried to stop him from speaking.
Family pleads for swift justice
His nephew-in-law, Pranto Das, asked for a complete investigation and for the people involved to be arrested right away. He asked the authorities to make sure that no one who did this gets away, and that everyone who was a part of it is prosecuted under the criminal and anti-terror laws that apply.
Violence against minority Hindus under scrutiny
Das’s death has made concerns about attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh much more serious. In the middle of December, a Hindu man who was twenty-five, Dipu Chandra Das, was killed by a mob in Mymensingh and his body set on fire because he was said to have blasphemed. A week later, another Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, was beaten to death in Rajbari because of a claim of trying to get money by threat.
These things have caused leaders in the community, groups in civil society, and people who defend human rights to strongly criticize them. They have asked the authorities to give more protection to religious minorities, stop mob violence, and deal with the spread of rumors which cause people to take the law into their own hands.
The 2022 census says Hindus make up about 7.95 percent of the people in Bangladesh, or around 13.13 million people. Groups which defend rights say attacks which target people and mob violence by groups can have a very large discouraging effect on small business people and local merchants in minority groups.
What the case means for public safety
The death of Khokon Das makes clear how much we need strong police on roads in the area and in market areas, where traders often travel at night. People who study these things say quick-response patrols, better lights, and local watch groups can help stop attacks which happen when people are ambushed.
Law experts also say it’s important to quickly deal with cases of violence against groups or by mobs, to protect people who give evidence, and to prosecute people who start attacks by threatening or arranging them. Saying things clearly from the authorities can help stop violence caused by rumors, and bring back people’s trust.
As the investigation goes on, people will pay attention to whether arrests are made quickly, whether all those who took part are found, and whether the court process makes sure people are held responsible. For Das’s family and his community, justice will depend not just on arrests, but on successful prosecutions which show that this kind of crime will not be tolerated.
The death of a shopkeeper and mobile banking agent on a normal trip home has become a strong test of Bangladesh’s willingness to protect citizens who are minorities, to make local trade safe, and to stop mob violence before it happens again.
