Hindu man lynched, body burned over blasphemy charges in Bangladesh
What's the story
A Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched in the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh on Thursday night. The incident took place in the Dubalia Para area under Bhaluka Upazila after allegations of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad. The police said that a mob caught Das around 9:00pm and beat him to death for allegedly insulting the Prophet.
Brutal aftermath
Mob violence escalates, body burned
Ripon Mia, the duty officer of Bhaluka police station, said that the mob beat Das to death and later set his body on fire. The attackers tied his body to a tree before setting it ablaze. Police officials reached the spot after receiving information about the incident and brought the situation under control.
Ongoing probe
Investigation underway, no formal case registered yet
The body of the victim was recovered and sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination. However, no formal case has been registered in connection with the killing so far. Duty Officer Ripon Mia said police are trying to trace the victim's family members and legal proceedings will move forward once relatives are located and a case is filed.
Rising tensions
Incident heightens concerns over minority safety, mob justice
The killing comes amid rising unrest in Bangladesh after student leader Sharif Osman Hadi was shot in Dhaka last Friday while campaigning for the upcoming general elections. He died in Singapore during treatment. Hadi was a prominent figure in the 2024 student uprising that led to the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.
Political turmoil
Unrest follows Hadi's death, anti-India protests intensify
His death has sparked violent protests and unrest across Bangladesh, with protesters torching buildings of major media houses like The Daily Star and Prothom Alo in Dhaka. They also vandalized Chhayanaut, a center devoted to Bengali culture. Student groups like Jatiya Chhatra Shakti and National Citizen Party (NCP), joined the demonstrations. They chanted anti-India slogans, claiming Hadi's assailants fled to India following the murder. They asked the interim administration to close the Indian High Commission until they were returned.