Exiled Bangladeshi author and human rights activist Taslima Nasreen has strongly condemned the brutal lynching of a young Hindu garment worker in Bangladesh, calling the victim "innocent" and stating he was falsely accused of blasphemy by a Muslim co-worker.
A Brutal Mob Attack in Bhaluka
The horrific incident occurred on December 18 in the Bhaluka area of Mymensingh district. The victim, Dipu Chandra Das, aged 25, was a poor labourer working at a local factory. According to Nasreen, who shared details on social media platform X, the violence was triggered by a personal dispute. A Muslim colleague, seeking to punish Dipu over a trivial matter, publicly accused him of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet.
"That was enough," Nasreen wrote, describing how a mob quickly formed. The crowd attacked Dipu with extreme brutality even after police arrived at the scene. "The mob pounced on Dipu like hyenas and began to tear him apart," she stated. Police eventually managed to rescue him and took him into custody, theoretically placing him under state protection.
From Police Custody to a Grisly Fate
Nasreen raised critical questions about the security lapse. She said Dipu maintained his innocence to the police, claiming the allegation was a conspiracy by his co-worker. However, authorities did not apprehend the accuser. The situation took a devastating turn when the mob somehow gained access to Dipu again.
"Did the police throw Dipu back to those fanatics or did the mob take Dipu out of the station?" Nasreen asked. The mob subsequently subjected Dipu to a torturous killing. He was beaten, hanged from a tree, and his body was set on fire near the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway, an act that brought traffic to a standstill. Nasreen starkly described the scene as a "jihadist festival."
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, the nation's largest minority organisation, confirmed the gruesome details. In a statement, they said a group "brutally beat to death" Dipu, then "hung his body from a tree and set it on fire," actions they said undermined communal harmony.
Outrage, Arrests, and a Family Destroyed
The killing has sparked widespread outrage within Bangladesh and internationally, with graphic videos of the attack circulating online. It has renewed serious concerns about the safety of religious minorities in the country, especially amidst recent political unrest following the death of political figure Sharif Osman bin Hadi.
In response to the incident, Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested seven individuals in connection with the lynching. The arrested accused are:
- Md. Limon Sarkar (19)
- Md. Tarek Hossain (19)
- Md. Manik Mia (20)
- Ershad Ali (39)
- Nijum Uddin (20)
- Alamgir Hossain (38)
- Md. Miraj Hossain Akon (46)
The interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus condemned the incident, asserting there is "no space for such violence in the new Bangladesh" and vowing that the perpetrators would not be spared.
Beyond the legal and political fallout, Nasreen highlighted the human tragedy. She noted that Dipu was the sole breadwinner for his family, supporting his disabled father, mother, wife, and child. "What will happen to them now?" she asked, pointing out the family's profound poverty and lack of resources to even flee the country. "The poor have no one. They have no country left, not even a religion left," she added poignantly.
Dipu's body has been sent for autopsy, and local authorities report that tensions remain high in the Bhaluka area.
