| Lynching of Dipu Chandra Das | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2025 Bangladesh anti-Hindu violence and December 2025 political violence | |
| 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 27) |
| Perpetrators | Mob of 140–150 people (per police report) |
| Motive | Allegations of blasphemy |
On 18 December 2025, Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment worker in Bhaluka, Bangladesh, was beaten, hanged from a tree, and set on fire after being accused of making derogatory remarks about Islam at a factory event. Investigators later reported that no evidence was found to support the allegation. [1] [2] [3]
The lynching took place against a backdrop of escalating violence in Bangladesh following an attack on Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent youth leader who died on 18 December 2025 from gunshot wounds sustained during an assassination attempt. Hadi had been a key figure in the 2024 Bangladesh protests that led to the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. His death sparked violent protests across the country, with attacks on media offices, cultural institutions, and Indian diplomatic missions. [4] [5]
Following the removal of Sheikh Hasina's government, Bangladesh witnessed increased violence against the Hindu minority community. [6] 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. [7]
Dipu Chandra Das was a garment factory worker employed at Pioneer Knit Composite Factory in the Square Masterbari area of Bhaluka Upazila. [8] [9] He was a 27-year-old resident of Mukamiakanda village in Tarakanda Upazila of Mymensingh District. He was married and the father of a three-year-old daughter. [8] Dipu had been living as a tenant in the Dubalia Para area of Bhaluka. [10]
On the evening of 18 December 2025, Dipu was accused of making derogatory remarks about the Islamic prophet Muhammad during an event at the Pioneer Knit Composite Factory, organised to mark World Arabic Language Day. [11] [12] The allegations rapidly spread within the factory and surrounding areas, sparking tension, [11] and a mob gathered demanding that Das be handed over. [13]
Around 9:00 pm, the mob attacked Dipu and beat him, [8] hanged him from a tree, and set him on fire. [14] [11] Videos circulating on social media showed the mob attacking Dipu while chanting Islamic slogans. [15]
Police were dispatched to the scene after receiving information about the incident and brought the situation under control. [9] They recovered Dipu's body and sent it to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination. [8] Initially, no case was registered, with police stating that legal proceedings would begin once a formal complaint was filed. [9] Dipu's brother, Apu Chandra Das, subsequently filed a case with Bhaluka Police Station accusing 140–150 unnamed persons. [8] Dipu's body was returned to his family home in Mukamiakanda village, Tarakanda, on 20 December 2025. [8]
On 20 December 2025, Muhammad Yunus announced that seven individuals had been arrested by the RAB in connection with the lynching. [16] 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. [13] [17] The RAB-14 Director said the floor manager handed Dipu 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. [18] [19]
By 22 December, authorities in Bangladesh had arrested a total of 12 people, including two of Dipu's co-workers. In connection with the case, a Mymensingh court granted a three-day remand for the arrested individuals. [20]
The interim government of Bangladesh condemned the killing and promised accountability, [21] with Education Adviser C. R. Abrar meeting Das's family to express sympathy and give assurance of government support. [22]
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council demanded the immediate arrest of the perpetrators, stating that the murder undermined communal harmony. [23] [24] The Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist–Leninist) condemned the "barbaric crime" as a sign of social and psychological breakdown, noting the disturbing silence of hundreds of onlookers. [25] [26] Condemnations were also issued by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar [27] and Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh leaders. [28] [29]
The lynching was celebrated by many people in Bangladesh, including a prospective parliamentary candidate. [30]
The Ministry of External Affairs of India expressed deep concern over the "barbaric killing" and ongoing attacks on minorities, urging the Bangladesh government to ensure justice. [31] Indian politicians strongly condemned the violence. Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan stated the "pattern of targeting Hindus is cruel and clear". [32] Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi urged the Indian government to raise the safety of minorities with Bangladesh, while MP Shashi Tharoor termed the incident "unbearably tragic". [23] BJP leader Tarunjyoti Tewari described the killing as "a direct assault on civilization itself". [33] Muslim leaders, including those from Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, also condemned the lynching as shameful and anti-Islamic. [34] Amnesty International called for immediate action against those responsible for the violence, which followed allegations of blasphemy. [35] [36] Several celebrities protested the killing. Singer Tony Kakkar released a track titled "Why violence in the name of religion?". [37] [38] Condemnations were voiced on social media by Janhvi Kapoor, [39] [40] Idhika Paul, [41] Riddhi Sen, Mekhla Dasgupta, [42] and Vikram Chatterjee. [43]
On 28 December, the US State Department condemned the lynching, terming the killing as "horrific" and further urged Bangladesh for the protection of minorities in the country. [44] [45]
Congressman Thomas R. Suozzi wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on December 22, 2025, expressing concerns over attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, including the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, and the misuse of blasphemy laws, requesting a briefing on the safety and security situation of religious minorities to address concerns from his Bangladeshi-American constituents. [46]
US Congressman Ro Khanna stated that "the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu garment worker in Bangladesh, is horrific, and my thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family. We must unequivocally condemn and speak out against these vile acts of hatred and bigotry." [47]
Protests demanding justice for Dipu Chandra Das erupted across Bangladeshi universities. At the University of Dhaka, students and DUCSU leaders held rallies condemning the "arson terrorism" and demanding the resignation of the Law and Home Advisers for failing to maintain order. [48] [49] [50] The Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal [51] [52] and students of Jagannath Hall also organized demonstrations. [53] [54] Similar protests and vigils were held at Government Brojomohun College [55] and Islamic University, Bangladesh by Hindu students. [56]
Protests occurred in multiple Indian cities. In New Delhi, groups including the Bajrang Dal demonstrated outside the Bangladesh High Commission. [57] [58] Tensions escalated with reports of threats to the High Commissioner, which the Indian MEA denied as disinformation, though the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry disputed this account. [59] [60] [61] Marches were also held near the mission in Agartala. [62] [63] There were similar protests held outside the Bangladeshi mission in the city of Kolkata, and across the state of West Bengal. [64]
On 27 December, the Bengali Hindu Adarsha Sangha (BHAS) UK led a "Justice for Hindus" rally outside the Bangladesh High Commission in London to condemn the persecution of Bangladeshi minorities, specifically the killing of Dipu Chandra Das. Participants chanted the Hanuman Chalisa and "Hindu Lives Matter" to urge the Yunus administration and the British government to ensure minority safety. The demonstration was disrupted by Khalistani counter-protesters supporting the Bangladeshi interim government and the killing. [65] [66] [67] A protest march in Janakpurdham, Nepal occurred on 25 December demanding justice for Dipu Chandra Das. [68]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)On Friday, while protesters took to the streets in anger over Mr. Hadi's death, the police reported that a mob had lynched a Hindu laborer in Mymensingh. The victim, Dipu Chandra Das, 27, was accused of blasphemy, the police said, and then tied to a tree and burned alive.
Hadi's death triggered widespread violence in Dhaka. The offices of two national daily newspapers were torched and Indian diplomatic missions were targeted. A Hindu man also was burned alive, which sparked the protest Tuesday in India.
But the religiously motivated murder of Mr. Das was openly celebrated by many. "You have brought joy to the hearts of the people," Jubayer Ahmad Tasrif, who is planning to run in parliamentary elections, said in a video he posted on Facebook.