'No dispute with anyone, why was he targeted?': Hindu shopkeeper set on fire in Bangladesh, wife’s questions hang heavy

victim identified attackers; family says he’s battling for life in Dhaka hospital

• Hindu man Khokon Das attacked and set on fire in Bangladesh, critically injured.
• Victim's wife says family has no disputes and appeals to government for help
• Police investigating; attackers identified, no arrests confirmed

Did our AI summary help?

A Hindu man in Bangladesh was attacked with sharp weapons and set on fire on his way home from work, and is now battling for life in a Dhaka hospital, NDTV reported. His wife, speaking to NDTV in Bangla, said the family is unable to understand why he was targeted.

“We have no dispute with anyone on any issue. We don’t understand why my husband was suddenly targeted,” Seema Das told NDTV, breaking down during the interview.

The victim has been identified by NDTV as Khokon Chandra Das, a small businessman who ran a medicine shop and a mobile banking service in his village, around 150 km from Dhaka.

NDTV said it met Seema Das inside Dhaka Medical College, where she was holding her youngest child while describing the attack and the family’s struggle.

A local resident who translated her Bangla to Hindi told NDTV that doctors had completed surgery on one of Khokon Das’ eyes and that he would be shifted to the intensive care unit soon. The person requested anonymity — a detail NDTV noted as reflecting the fear many people live with.

Seema Das told NDTV that her husband recognised two of the attackers. She alleged that this is why they poured petrol on his head and face and set him on fire.

According to NDTV’s reporting, Khokon Das was attacked on Wednesday while returning home after shutting his shop. He managed to jump into a pond, which helped douse the flames that had almost engulfed his head and face. The attackers fled, NDTV said.

Locals first took him to a nearby hospital. Doctors later referred him to a larger hospital in Dhaka, the report said.

Seema Das and Khokon Das have three children. One of the children told her that their father had lost a large amount of blood and needed at least six units to stabilise him, NDTV reported.

Seema Das told NDTV that her family had no known disputes or enemies. She also said she wanted to live peacefully and appealed to the government for help.

She told NDTV the attackers were Muslims and said police were trying to arrest them. NDTV did not independently report any confirmation from police on identities or arrests at the time of the interview.

NDTV reported that some people from the village also reached Dhaka to help the family, including a Muslim man who said he was doing everything he could to support them.

The man told NDTV he did not believe it was a communal issue. But when asked about a wider pattern of alleged attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, he said: “Investigations are going on.”