How did a young Hindu worker become the victim of a brutal lynching in Bangladesh? Officials say Dipu Chandra Das committed no blasphemy, yet mob violence took his life- raising questions about minority safety amid political unrest.
Dipu Chandra Das, a young garment factory worker, was lynched to death
Dhaka: The brutal lynching of Hindu garment worker Dipu Chandra Das in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, Bangladesh has drawn international attention. Officials investigating the incident have stated that there is no evidence suggesting Das made any remarks or posts that hurt religious sentiments.
Dipu, a young worker at a local garment factory, was killed by a mob after being forcibly removed from his workplace. Witnesses say he was beaten with sticks and improvised weapons, then hung from a tree and set on fire in a horrifying display of mob violence.
Who was Dipu Chandra Das? Hindu man lynched by mob amid Bangladesh violence
Mohd Samsuzzaman, Company Commander of the Rapid Action Battalion in Mymensingh, told The Daily Star that no proof was found indicating that Das had engaged in blasphemous activity on social media or elsewhere. He added that neither factory colleagues nor local residents could point to any remarks or actions by Das that would have hurt religious sentiments.
“Everyone is now saying that they did not personally hear him say anything of that sort. No one has been found who claims to have seen or heard anything themselves hurting religion,” Samsuzzaman stated.
The Rapid Action Battalion has arrested seven suspects in connection with Das’ lynching. Those taken into custody include Md Limon Sarkar, Md Tarek Hossain, Md Manik Mia, Ershad Ali, Nijum Uddin, Alomgir Hossain, and Md Miraj Hossain Akon. Three other individuals are currently being interrogated. A formal case has been filed under the direction of Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun.
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The lynching has sparked outrage among minority communities in Bangladesh and drawn attention from political circles in neighbouring India. Civil society groups, including the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, have strongly condemned the murder, demanding immediate arrests and strict punishment for the perpetrators.
The caretaker government led by Muhammad Yunus condemned the incident, stating that “there is no space for such violence in the new Bangladesh” and assured that “the perpetrators of this heinous crime will not be spared.”
The killing of Das highlights ongoing vulnerabilities faced by minority communities in Bangladesh amid political unrest following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina and the rise of the interim government, which has seen a series of attacks targeting Hindus in the country.
