Seven arrested over Hindu man's lynching in Bangladesh over alleged blasphemy
PTC News Desk: At least seven suspects have been arrested in the case of lynching and killing a Hindu man, Dipu Das over allegations of blasphemy.
"In the incident of beating to death Sanatan Dharma adherent youth Dipu Chandra Das (27) in Valuka, Mymensingh, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested seven individuals as suspects. The arrested individuals are— Md. Limon Sarkar (19), Md. Tarek Hossain, Md. Manik Mia, 4 Ershad Ali (39), Nijum Uddin (20), Alomgir Hossain, and Md. Miraj Hossain Akon. RAB-14 conducted operations at various locations and arrested the aforementioned suspects," the Chief Advisor wrote on X.
The action comes two days after a mob accused Das, a garment worker of making derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad and assaulted him to death and tied his body to a tree and set it on fire. Later, police arrived on the spot and took possession of the body.
The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus condemned the lynching incident and death of garment worker, asserting that mob violence has no place in New Bangladesh. He further assured the significant action will be taken against those involved in the incident and would not be spared in the light of law.
The latest incident of lynching comes as the country is already grappling with unrest following the death of radical political activist and Sharif Osman Hadi, who succumbed to gunshot injuries while undergoing treatment in Singapore.
Hadi, a candidate contesting the February 12 general elections, died at a Singapore hospital after six days of critical care. He had sustained a gunshot wound to the head last week when masked attackers opened fire on him during the launch of his election campaign in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, the lynching of Das sparked strong reactions in West Bengal. The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party condemned the killing, expressing serious concerns over the safety of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. The party also compared the incident to the situation in West Bengal, accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of failing to adequately protect Hindu lives in the state.
"This is how a Hindu, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched, hanged, and burnt in Bangladesh last night. This is not just about Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh; it is also about Hargobindo Das and Chandan Das, who faced the same fate in West Bengal under Mamata. Whether in West Bengal under Mamata or in Bangladesh under Yunus, they were killed because they were Hindu," the state BJP wrote on X.
- With inputs from agencies
