A horrific mob lynching in Bangladesh has claimed the life of a young garment worker, exposing the deadly consequences of online misinformation and communal violence. Dipu Chandra Das, a 28-year-old Hindu man, was brutally killed by a mob of around 140 people on the night of December 18, based on an unverified rumour of a blasphemous social media post.
A Night of Unimaginable Horror
The tragedy unfolded in the Bhaluka area of Mymensingh. Dipu, the sole breadwinner for a family of eight, including his one-year-old child, was working at the Pioneer Knitwears (BD) Ltd garment factory. Around 9 PM, a violent mob descended on the factory premises. They dragged him out and subjected him to a savage beating with bamboo sticks, fists, and kicks until he died.
The mob's brutality did not end there. They took his body to Jamirdia square, hung it from a tree, and set it ablaze in full public view. A video of the burning body was widely circulated on social media, adding to the family's trauma.
Investigation Debunks the Triggering Rumour
The mob accused Dipu of insulting Islam in a social media post, a charge vehemently denied by his 22-year-old brother, Apu Chandra Das. "Dipu could never have posted anything objectionable... he always respected all religions," Apu told TOI over the phone.
This claim has now found official backing. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Bangladesh's elite counter-terrorism agency investigating the case, has confirmed they found no evidence that Dipu posted any blasphemous content online. A senior RAB official stated that their digital forensics uncovered no such post. The agency is probing whether misinformation was deliberately spread to incite communal violence.
A Family Shattered and Living in Fear
For Dipu's family, the nightmare continues even after his death. Apu recounted that even during the last rites, a group of people denied the family a final, dignified glimpse of Dipu. "We were forced to take the body immediately to the cremation ground," he said, leaving his elderly parents heartbroken.
While police have arrested twelve suspects so far, who were remanded for three days of questioning, the family feels little solace. "After what we saw... after how easily a mob could do this... how can we believe that justice will be done? We don't even know how to live anymore," Apu expressed, shaken by the violence and the subsequent silence from many in their community.
The formal complaint was filed by Apu at the Bhaluka Model police station on December 19. Authorities have promised justice, but for a family that lost its pillar, the path to closure remains long and fraught with fear.
