A former star of The Zutons has revealed he was nearly killed in a racist attack, which saw his head split open with a piece of wood by a group of young men.
Boyan Chowdhury, who was a founding member of the indie rock band, said the attack happened in the Wavetree area of Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.
The guitarist, who is in his 40s, said he was out with his five-year-old son when a gang of teens began smoking near them.
He asked them to move away – but the youths began shouting racist slurs at him, which saw Mr Chowdhury quickly take his son to a neighbour’s house for safety.
Two of the young men continued to abuse him before a third approached from behind and hit him with a piece of wood, leaving his forehead split open down to the skull.
The musician luckily managed to turn around and raise his hand in time to slightly deflect the blow – but he still had to be rushed to hospital for urgent treatment.
Shocking pictures shared by the musician on social media showed blood running down his face after what police called an ‘abhorrent’ hate-related assault.
He told Sky News: ‘I honestly believe if I hadn’t turned around at that time, I don’t think I’d be here because it would have been the back of my head.
Boyan Chowdhury, who was a founding member of the indie rock band, said the attack happened in the Wavetree area of Liverpool on Saturday afternoon. Pictured: Images of his injury he shared to social media in the wake of the incident
The guitarist (pictured, performing with The Zutons in 2019), who is in his forties, said he was out with his five-year-old son when a gang of teens began smoking near them
He asked them to move away – but the youths began shouting racist slurs at him before one hit him with a piece of wood, leaving his forehead split open down to the skull (pictured)
‘It would have been a lot more serious.’
Mr Chowdhury said he has done his best to keep busy after the attack and thanked his neighbours for their support.
But he said the incident has left him almost completely unable to sleep – and he now finds himself constantly looking out the window of his home in fear.
He said his hands have not stopped shaking since the assault and his wife and son, who was left afraid to return to school on Monday, are just as scared.
The guitarist added: ‘Everyone has to start facing the reality, the horrible truth that this country is going into a really dark phase of its history.’
Mr Chowdhury, whose parents moved to the UK from Bangladesh, said he is proud of his heritage – but has always had to battle racism, even since his childhood.
When he was growing up in the West Derby area of Liverpool, for instance, he said he used to have bricks and stones thrown at him.
His experiences over the years, he said, have left him with little faith in how hate crimes are dealt with by the authorities.
The musician was an original member of The Zutons, which formed in 2001.
The band was best known for mid-2000s hits including You Will You Won’t, Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love? and Oh Stacey (Look What You’ve Done!).
They were also the group behind the song Valerie, which was famously covered by Amy Winehouse.
Their debut album, Who Killed… The Zutons?, was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2004.
Mr Chowdhury left the band, which is still touring and releasing music, in 2007 – but made a return for reunion shows in 2019.
He is now working on other music and production projects, and has also made a foray into acting.
Merseyside Police is now appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Detective Inspector Debra Morley said: ‘This was a shocking assault that has absolutely no place in our communities.
The musician (second left) was an original member of The Zutons (pictured, in 2006), which formed in 2001
‘To racially abuse someone and then attack him with a weapon is abhorrent and I’m sure the public in Merseyside will be just as appalled as we are about what happened.
‘An investigation is ongoing into this incident and we are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
‘If you saw this group of males near Fieldway or witnessed the incident, then please come forward.
‘Violence and hate crime will simply never be tolerated in our communities.
‘We have specially trained officers who respond to reports of hate crime with compassion and sensitivity, ensuring that every piece of information is acted upon to bring offenders to justice.
‘I strongly encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed hate crime to come forward and contact us.’
A force spokesperson said: ‘We are appealing for information following a hate-related assault in Wavertree on Saturday 21 March.
‘At around 2.15pm, it was reported that a man aged in his 40s had been racially abused following an altercation with a group of males near Fieldway.
‘It was further reported that the victim was struck to the head by one of the males who was armed with a weapon, which is believed to be a piece of wood.
‘The victim sustained a serious head injury and required hospital treatment.
‘An investigation is ongoing into the incident and we are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.’
Anyone with information can contact Merseyside Police via X @MerPolCC or call 101 quoting reference 26000226633.
People can also get in touch with the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their online form.
If victims of hate crimes do not wish to report the incident to the police for whatever reason, they can contact the independent charity Stop Hate UK.
The organisation runs a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime on 0800 138 1625.
Stop Hate UK can also be contacted via its website or its reporting app, which can be downloaded on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
There are also charities which offer assistance to victims of specific hate crimes.
They can report incidents to The Anthony Walker Foundation for attacks motivated by race or religion, Daisy UK for disability hate crime and Citizens Advice for LGBTQ+ victims.
