Bengali Hindu shopkeeper Khokon Das dies after being set ablaze by mob in Bangladesh

Khokon Das (Image: @BJP4Bengal/X)

• Bengali Hindu businessman Khokon Das killed in Shariatpur mob attack, Bangladesh
• Fourth attack on Hindu individuals in Bangladesh reported in two weeks
• Political unrest and violence against minorities rising ahead of 2026 elections

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A Bengali Hindu businessman was killed in a brutal mob attack in Bangladesh’s Shariatpur district late last month, in what local media described as part of a recent spate of violence targeting minorities, reported News18.

Khokon Das, 50, who ran a small medicine shop, was assaulted on December 31 while heading home after closing his store. According to reports, he was first stabbed and beaten before being splashed with petrol and set on fire by a group of attackers. Though he initially managed to escape by jumping into a nearby pond, his injuries proved fatal.

Das was rushed for medical care as his condition worsened and was eventually shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He later died during treatment. The attack occurred in Tiloi village under Kanoir union.

His wife, speaking after his death, said she was unable to understand why her husband had been targeted. “I don’t know who did this. We need justice. My husband is a simple man. He did not harm anyone,” she reportedly said.

Reacting to the news of Das passing away, the X account of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal said "horrific attacks on Bengali Hindus continue unabated in Bangladesh and West Bengal."

"After Dipu Chandra Das, now Khokon Das had been attacked and set on fire by an Islamist mob. He has passed away due to his injuries early today morning.

This reminds us of the grim situation in West Bengal where last year, Haragobinda Das and Chandan Das were brutally hacked to death by an Islamist mob in Murshidabad," the party's account posted on X.

The killing is the fourth reported attack on a Hindu individual in Bangladesh in the past two weeks, according to local accounts. Earlier incidents include the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a garment factory worker, who was allegedly beaten to death by a mob, stripped naked, and then set on fire.

These incidents have unfolded against the backdrop of heightened political tension in Bangladesh following the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi in December 2025. His death sparked widespread protests, unrest on the streets, and a sharp rise in polarisation across the country.

In the weeks that followed, several newspaper offices perceived as sympathetic to India were attacked, while incidents of violence were also reported near Indian diplomatic missions. Citing security concerns, India temporarily shut visa centres in parts of Bangladesh.

The country is now moving toward a highly charged general election scheduled for February 2026, with sustained unrest and street violence reported since early 2025.

Amid this climate, a video circulating on social media has drawn widespread outrage. The clip, shared on X by investigative journalist and author Sahidul Hasan Khokon, features a Bangladeshi youth leader allegedly boasting about the killing of a Hindu police officer and issuing threats to law enforcement personnel.

The journalist identified the speaker as a student coordinator from Habiganj district. In the video, the youth is heard warning the officer-in-charge of a police station that it would be torched, claiming that protesters had already burned down the Baniachong police station during what he referred to as the July 2024 uprising.

At one point, the speaker makes a stark assertion: “We burned Hindu officer SI Santosh,” a reference to Sub-Inspector Santosh Bhabhu. The remark is delivered casually, without any visible hesitation, even as the youth appears to be seated inside a police station.

The video has further fuelled concerns about threats to minorities and law enforcement amid Bangladesh’s ongoing political turmoil.