Hindu man lynched in Bangladesh over alleged remarks on Islam amid anti-India protests

A Hindu man was lynched in Bangladesh over alleged derogatory remarks on Islam amid intensifying anti-India protests in the neighbouring country, currently ruled by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.

The incident, according to local media reports, took place on Thursday (December 18) night. The deceased, Dipu Chandra Das, 30, was lynched and then set on fire by a mob after his death in the Bhaluka Upazila of Mymensingh district.

Interim govt condemns the act

The development comes at a time when Bangladesh is rocked by violent protests following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a key leader of the July uprising that ousted the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, forcing Hasina to flee to India.

Also Read: Protests erupt in Bangladesh over uprising leader's death

The interim government in Bangladesh has condemned the incident, urging people to maintain restraint and shun violence.

"At this critical hour, we call upon every citizen to honour Shaheed Hadi by rejecting and resisting violence, incitement and hatred," it said in a statement as quoted by NDTV.

What led to the lynching

According to reports in the Bangladeshi Bengali media outlet Barta Bazar, Dipu was accused of making offensive remarks about Islam and Prophet Muhammad during an event at the factory marking World Arabic Language Day.

The Allegations rapidly spread within the Pioneer Knit Composite Factory in the Square Masterbari area, where Dipu worked and adjoining areas. Soon, a mob gathered in the area and beat Dipu to death.

Body tied to tree, set ablaze

However, according to local media reports, the brutality did not end there. The mob dragged Dipu’s body to the Square Masterbari bus stand area and tied with a tree. They reportedly started to hit the body while shouting slogans and then set it ablaze.

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Then the mob allegedly dragged the body to the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and again set it ablaze. The incident resulted in tension in the area, resulting in the traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway being temporarily halted.

‘Body in police custody’

Bhaluka Upazila Executive Officer, Md Firoz Hossain, confirmed the incident, stating that one person was killed for allegedly making derogatory remarks on the Prophet, adding that Dipu’s body is in police custody.

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Reacting to the incident, former Bangladesh Minister and Awami League leader Mohammad Ali Arafat said that Bangladesh was steadily heading toward full-scale radicalism under the leadership of the interim government's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, reported NDTV.

India summons Bangladesh’s High Commissioner

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday summoned Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, and conveyed New Delhi’s serious concerns over the worsening law-and-order situation in the neighbouring country.

Also Read: India shuts two visa centres in Bangladesh over security concerns

The move comes amid reports of a surge in attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, particularly members of the Hindu community, during the tenure of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government. The developments have triggered widespread anger among sections of the public and drawn sharp criticism from several international human rights organisations.