Dhaka, Jan 1 (NationPress) In a shocking turn of events highlighting the increasing violence against minorities in Bangladesh, a Hindu man was viciously attacked, suffering serious injuries inflicted by a group of assailants in Damudya upazila of Shariatpur district. The attackers doused him in petrol and ignited him, according to reports from local media.

The victim, identified as 50-year-old Khokon Chandra Das, was urgently transferred to Dhaka for specialized medical care after his condition worsened.

This brutal incident occurred near Keurbhanga Bazar in Kaneshwar Union of Damudya late Wednesday night.

As reported by the prominent Bangladeshi daily 'Prothom Alo', Khokon Chandra Das operates a medicine and mobile banking business in Keurbhanga Bazar. After closing his shop, he was returning home in a CNG auto rickshaw when miscreants halted his vehicle near Keurbhanga Bazar on the Damudya-Shariatpur road, attacked him, and then set him on fire.

In a desperate attempt to escape, Khokon Chandra Das leaped into a pond adjacent to the road. Local residents rescued him and rushed him to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital. After receiving initial treatment, he was transferred to Dhaka for further medical assistance.

Confirming the incident, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Damudya Police Station, Mohammad Rabiul Haque, stated, "Upon receiving reports of a terrorist attack on a businessman in Keurbhanga Bazar, our team arrived at the scene. We have identified two attackers, local residents Rabbi and Sohag, and are working to apprehend them and determine if others were involved in this heinous act."

Dr. Nazrul Islam from the emergency department at Shariatpur Sadar Hospital informed Prothom Alo that the victim had multiple injuries and serious burn marks on his body, particularly affecting his stomach, face, back of his head, and hands leading to his referral to Dhaka.

Seema Das, the wife of Khokon Das, expressed her anguish, stating, "My husband returns home every night after closing the shop with the day’s earnings. He was assaulted by criminals on Wednesday night. He recognized two of them, which led to his brutal attack and setting him ablaze. We have no disputes or enemies in the area, leaving us bewildered as to why he was targeted."

This incident marks the second such act of violence against a Hindu man in less than 48 hours. Earlier, 40-year-old Bajendra Biswas was fatally shot by a colleague in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh district.

On December 24, reports emerged of another Hindu youth, 29-year-old Amrit Mondal, who was allegedly lynched by a mob in the Hossaindanga area of Kalimohar Union.

Moreover, on December 18, 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das was brutally murdered in a mob lynching incident fueled by false blasphemy claims by a Muslim coworker in Bhaluka Upazila, where his body was hung from a tree and set ablaze.

Under the interim government led by Yunus, the violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, has surged, inciting widespread condemnation from both local and international human rights organizations.