"Petrol Poured On His Head": Wife Of Hindu Man Attacked In Bangladesh

Khokon Chandra Das' name is now on a growing list of Hindus in the crisis-hit, Muslim-majority Bangladesh who have been brutally attacked allegedly on religious grounds

01 Jan 2026, 17:12 · NDTV

Show
Quick Read
Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed

Khokon Das, husband of Seema Das, was attacked and set on fire in Bangladesh
He is critically injured and receiving treatment in a Dhaka hospital
Two of the three attackers were identified by Khokon Das, according to his wife

Did our AI summary help?
Let us know.
Switch To Beeps Mode
Dhaka:

The devastated wife of a Hindu man, who was attacked with sharp weapons and set afire in Bangladesh, is at a loss for words. Seema Das told NDTV she can't understand why her husband, Khokon Chandra Das, was attacked so brutally as the family had no enemies in the area.

"We have no dispute with anyone on any issue. We don't understand why my husband was suddenly targeted," Seema Das said in Bangla and broke down.

Khokon Das' name is now on a growing list of Hindus in the crisis-hit, Muslim-majority nation who have been brutally attacked allegedly on religious grounds.

"We are Hindu. We just want to live peacefully. The attackers were Muslims and the police are trying to arrest them. I request the government for help," Seema Das said.

She said that her husband, who is battling for life in a hospital, recognised two of the attackers. "That's why they poured petrol on his head and face and set him on fire."

A local resident, who translated her Bangla to Hindi, came with news that doctors had completed a surgery on one of Khokon Das' eyes and he would be moved to the intensive care unit soon. He requested anonymity, like most other people whom NDTV spoke to in Bangladesh, which said a lot about the fear they live with.

Khokon Das ran a medicine and mobile banking business in his village, 150 km from the capital Dhaka. The attack happened on his way home after closing his shop on Wednesday. He managed to jump into a pond which helped douse the flames that nearly engulfed his head and face. The attackers fled after that.

Locals took him to a nearby hospital first, before doctors decided to send him to a bigger hospital in Dhaka.

Seema Das and Khokon Das have three children. One of the children told her that their father has lost a lot of blood, and needed at least six units to stabilise the body.

She held her youngest son tightly as she spoke to NDTV inside Dhaka Medical College. Some people from her village, including a Muslim man, also came all the way to the hospital.

He said he is doing everything he can to help the family, and claimed it was not a communal issue. However, to a question about the pattern of attacks on Hindus in his country, he said, "Investigations are going on."

Bangladesh has been seeing escalating violence against minorities, including Hindus, under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, sparking outrage among people and several human rights organisations across the globe. While officials working with Yunus claim they are protecting minorities, the ground reports say otherwise.

Last week, India voiced grave concern over the "unremitting hostility" against minorities in Bangladesh, and asserted that it is keeping a close watch on the ongoing developments in its neighbourhood. In a statement, the Bangladesh government said that it remained committed to protecting minorities.

Show full article

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world