Dhaka, Jan 3 (UNI) Bangladeshi Hindu businessman Khokon Chandra Das, who was grievously injured in an attack by assailants on Wednesday night in Damudya, Shariatpur, has died during treatment in a Dhaka hospital.
Khokon, 50, died while undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka on Saturday morning.
Khokon was a resident of Tilai village of Kaneshwar union of Shariatpur upazila. He owned a shop in the local Keurbhanga market where he sold medicine and dealt in mobile banking.
On Wednesday night, miscreants waylaid Khokon’s autorickshaw while he was on way home, carrying the day’s earnings from his shop.
He was attacked with sharp instruments by the assailants, who then poured petrol on him and set him on fire. However, Khokon jumped into a nearby pond to save himself. Locals came to his rescue and took him to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital at night. After initial treatment there, he was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital at night. From there he was taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
According to a relative, Thanh Das, Khokon Chandra Das’s condition suddenly started to deteriorate around early Saturday morning. He died while undergoing treatment in the ICU around 7:30 am. Thanh Das said that after the legal process and autopsy, they will take the body back to the village bury him at the village house.
Bidhan Sarkar, head of the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told Prothom Alo daily that Khokon Chandra Das had suffered 30 percent burns. He died this morning while undergoing treatment there.
Earlier, Khokon named the two people who took part in the attack on him. They are Sohag Khan (27) son of Babul Khan of Kaneshwar area and Rabbi Molya (21) son of Samchuddin Molya. The police learnt of another person who participated in the attack, who was identified as Palash Sardar (25).
The traders of Keurbhanga market and the people of Tilai village were incensed over the attack on Khokon, and have demanded that the accused persons be arrested and punished. A case regarding the attack was filed in the police station on Thursday night.
Paresh Chandra Das, the father of Khokon Das, filed the case as the plaintiff, and named the three youths as accused in the case. He said the assailants had snatched six lakh rupees that Khokan was carrying with him in his bag.
Damudya Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Rabiul Haque said, ‘I have received information that Khokon Chandra Das, a businessman of Keurbhanga Bazar, died while undergoing treatment in Dhaka. We are in touch with Shahbag police station in Dhaka. After the autopsy, the body will be handed over to the family members. And the police are trying to arrest the accused in the case filed in that incident.”
