Khokon Chandra Das, aged 50, a Hindu businessman badly hacked and torched by a mob in Shariatpur, died on Saturday morning, January 3, 2026. Das’s death at the National Burn Institute in Dhaka has renewed calls about the rise of violence against religious minorities prior to elections taking place in February.
Professor Dr. Shaon Bin Rahman confirmed that Das died at 7:20 AM after struggling with a serious respiratory tract injury and burns that covered 30% of his body.
A Brutal New Year’s Eve Attack
The fatal attack took place on the night of December 31, 2025. The victim, Das, who owned a pharmacy business as well as a mobile banking enterprise, was travelling home in an auto-rickshaw.
As per reports filed by the police and witnesses, a gang of miscreants intercepted Das’s car on the Damudya-Shariatpur Road. The assailants pulled Das out and stabbed him with sharp-edged weapons before showering petrol on him and setting him on fire. In a last-ditch effort to save his life, Das jumped into a pond located near the road. This caused the assailants to flee, with people gathering on the spot.
Family Seeks Justice in ‘Senseless’ Violence
The wife of the affected victim, Sima Das, who was left alone with their young child, was shocked and baffled by the selective victimisation of her husband. She explained that Das had identified two of his assailants, who were later identified by police as local residents Rabbi and Sohag, and this led to an intensification of the attack aimed at killing him.
“We don’t have any enemies in the locality. We don’t have any dispute with anyone,” said Sima Das, talking to the media. “They hacked him and lit fire on his face. We don’t understand why he was targeted.”
Pattern Of Pre-Election Communal Violence
The death of Khokon Das is the latest in a number of lynchings and attacks on Hindus that have been taking place in the country since December:
December 18: Dipu Chandra Das was brutally beaten to death and then set on fire for alleged blasphemy in Mymensingh.
December 24: Amrit Mondal was lynched in the district of Rajbari over an alleged extortion case.
Current Arson Attacks: There have been reports of at least eight Hindu families whose homes were recently set on fire.
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