| Lynching of Dipu Chandra Das | |
|---|---|
| Location | Square Masterbari area, Bhaluka, Mymensingh, Bangladesh |
| Date | 18 December 2025 Around 9:00 pm (BST (UTC+06:00)) |
Attack type | Mob violence, lynching |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Victim | Dipu Chandra Das (aged 25 or 27 or 30) |
| Perpetrators | Mob of 140–150 people (per police report) |
| Motive | Allegations of blasphemy |
On 18 December 2025, a Hindu man named Dipu Chandra Das was beaten to death over the allegations of blasphemy in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. After his death, the mob tied his body to a tree and set it on fire. [1]
Following the removal of Sheikh Hasina's government, Bangladesh witnessed increased violence against the Hindu minority community. [2] According to the 2022 Bangladesh national census, there were approximately 13.1 million Hindus in Bangladesh, constituting about 7.95% of the country's population. [3]
Dipu Chandra Das was a garment factory worker employed at Pioneer Knit Composite Factory in the Square Masterbari area of Bhaluka Upazila. [1] [4] He was a resident of Mukamiakanda village in Tarakanda Upazila of Mymensingh District. [1] Reports differ on his exact age, with sources citing him as 25, [2] 27, [1] or 30. He was married and the father of a three-year-old daughter. [1] Das had been living as a tenant in the Dubalia Para area of Bhaluka. [5]
On the evening of 18 December 2025, Das was accused of making derogatory comments about Islam and the Islamic prophet Muhammad during an event at Pioneer Knit Composite Factory marking World Arabic Language Day. [6] The allegations rapidly spread within the factory and surrounding areas, sparking tension. [6]
Around 9:00 pm, a mob attacked Das and beat him to death. [1] Ripon Mia, the duty officer at Bhaluka Police Station, stated that the crowd accused Das of blasphemy and attacked him. [4] Witnesses reported that after killing him, the attackers took his body to the Square Masterbari bus stand area, tied it to a tree with a rope, and set it on fire while shouting slogans. [6] Videos circulating on social media showed the mob attacking Das while chanting religious slogans. [7]
According to a source, Dipu recently became involved in a dispute with a co-worker over work-related issues and promotion. That co-worker deliberately accused him of making derogatory remarks about Islam. He then gathered people by going live on social media. Subsequently, the factory’s floor manager forced Dipu to resign from his job and handed him over to the agitated mob. [8]
Police were dispatched to the scene after receiving information about the incident and brought the situation under control. [4] They recovered Das's body and sent it to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination. [1] Initially, no case was registered, with police stating that legal proceedings would begin once a formal complaint was filed. [4] Das's brother, Apu Chandra Das, subsequently filed a case with Bhaluka Police Station accusing 140–150 unnamed persons. [1] Das's body was returned to his family home in Mukamiakanda village, Tarakanda, on 20 December 2025. [1]
On 20 December 2025, Muhammad Yunus announced that seven individuals had been arrested by the RAB in connection with the lynching. [9] [10] The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) stated that there was no direct evidence of "religious defamation" in the murder case. RAB also found no one who personally heard or witnessed anything related to religious defamation. Mymensingh RAB Company Commander Md. Samsuzzaman confirmed this information to BBC Bangla. [11] [12] RAB-14 Director said floor manager handed Dipu Chandra Das over to an enraged crowd after forcing him to resign from his job. Investigators are trying to find answers to why he was handed over to the crowd and police were not called. Previous enmity could be a motive here or the pressure from the crowd. [13] [14]
In a statement, the interim government said, "We deeply condemn the incident in Mymensingh where a Hindu man was beaten to death. There is no place for such violence in the new Bangladesh. No one involved in this brutal crime will be spared." [11] Adviser of Religious Affairs AFM Khalid Hossain denounced the violence and declared that "the government will not tolerate such violence". [15]
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, the country's largest minority organization, condemned the murder, stating that the act undermined communal harmony and demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible and exemplary punishment. [16] [17]
The Communist Party of Bangladesh strongly condemned the incident, stating that the killing was not merely an isolated act of brutality. Rather, it reflects a loss of humanity and rational thinking in society. The party said that the participation of, or silent witnessing by, hundreds of people in such a barbaric crime points to a grave social and psychological breakdown. [18]
On 19 December, Mia Golam Parwar, Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and a former MP, issued a statement condemning the incident. [19] On 21 December, Hefazat-e-Islam Joint Secretary General Maulana Azizul Haq Islamabad issued a statement strongly condemning and protesting the killing. [20] [21]
In a special report on the escalating violence in Bangladesh, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan strongly condemned the lynching. Referring to the incident, he said that the "pattern of targeting Hindus is cruel and clear." [22] Other Indian politicians responded to the incident with concern. Priyanka Gandhi, a Congress MP, urged the Government of India to take cognizance of the rising violence against Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist minorities in Bangladesh and raise the issue of their safety with the Bangladesh government. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described the incident as "unbearably tragic" and questioned the Bangladesh government about actions against perpetrators and measures to prevent such incidents in the future. [16]
West Bengal BJP leader Tarunjyoti Tewari condemned the killing, stating it reflected a disturbing pattern of violence against minorities and described it as "a direct assault on civilization itself." [23]
Amnesty International expressed deep concern over the brutal killing following allegations of blasphemy. Condemning the violence, Amnesty said such incidents have led to injuries, destruction of property, and even loss of life. The organization urged the interim government to take immediate and effective action to ensure that those responsible for the violence and killing are brought to justice. [24] [25]
On the night of 20 December, students of the University of Dhaka held a protest and human chain at the VC premises, condemning the brutal killing. During the demonstration, they raised slogans such as "We want justice", "Justice for Deepu", and "Direct action against arson terrorism". Addressing the gathering, Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) Literature and Cultural Secretary Musaddiq Ali Ibne Mohammad strongly condemned the murder, stating that such incidents reflect a lack of rule of law in the country. He demanded the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved to prevent future acts of arson violence, and called for the resignation of the Law Adviser and the Home Adviser for failing to maintain law and order. [26] [27] [28]
On 21 December, the Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal at Dhaka University held a protest rally and demonstration demanding a fair and proper trial. [29] [30] On the same day, students of Jagannath Hall separately organized a silent procession, calling for exemplary justice. [31] [32] [33] [34] In protest against the killing and demanding the swift trial of those responsible, students organized a protest gathering and candlelight vigil at the premises of Government Brojomohun College. [35]
Students belonging to the Sanatana (Hindu) community at Islamic University organized a protest rally and demonstration, condemning the brutal killing and demanding exemplary punishment for the perpetrators. [36]
On the night of 20 December, a group of people protested outside the Bangladeshi High Commission in New Delhi, India. [37] Protests and marches were also held outside the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala in Tripura, northeast India. [38] [39]
the interim government announced the arrests of seven people suspected in the death of Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu man, in what the government has called a "lynching" in Mymensingh on Thursday.
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