Police arrested three men on Sunday for the brutal murder of Khokon Chandra Das, a Hindu businessman from Shariatpur, Bangladesh.
Earlier this week, Khokon was attacked, hacked, and set on fire. He died on Saturday at the National Burn Institute in Dhaka.
Hindu Trader Burnt Alive in Bangladesh
The Rapid Action Battalion tracked down the suspects, identified as Damudyar Sohag Khan (27), Rabbi Molya (21), and Palash Sardar (25), in Kishoreganj, about 100 kilometres northeast of Dhaka.
They’re now being brought to Madaripur camp, according to RAB officials.
Before he died, Khokon named his attackers, Shariatpur’s police superintendent said. The details are grim: Khokon ran a medicine shop and a mobile banking business.
He was riding in an autorickshaw when the attackers stopped him, beat him, hacked him with sharp weapons, and doused him with petrol before setting him on fire.
In desperation, Khokon jumped into a nearby pond while locals rushed to help. The attackers ran off. People pulled Khokon from the water and rushed him first to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, then to Dhaka because his injuries were so severe.
Doctors in Dhaka said Khokon had serious wounds all over from his abdomen to his face, head, and hands. His wife, Seema Das, said she can’t understand why anyone would do this, but Khokon recognized two of the attackers, and she believes that’s why they tried to kill him.
Gruesome Killings in Bangladesh
It’s not an isolated case. Just a week earlier, a 25-year-old Hindu man named Dipu Chandra Das was lynched and burned in Mymensingh city over alleged blasphemy.
Another Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, was killed in Rajbari town’s Pangsha upazila, accused of extortion.
Bangladesh’s Hindu population is about 13.13 million, roughly 8% of the country. Lately, there’s been a disturbing spike in violence against this minority community.
