Man lynched in Bangladesh amid anti-India protests

DHAKA, Dec 19
Amid anti-India protests in Bangladesh, a young Hindu man was killed in a mob lynching in Bhaluka Upazila of Mymensingh district over allegations of insulting Islam. Angry protestors then set the body of Dipu Chandra Das, 30, on fire, according to Bangladeshi media reports.
The incident happened as violent protests gripped Bangladesh following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent leader of the July Uprising. The Muha-mmad Yunus-led interim Government has strongly condemned the lynching of the Hindu man, saying there is no place for such violence in a new Bangladesh. It vowed that those responsible for the heinous crime would not be spared.
"At this critical hour, we call upon every citizen to honour Shaheed (martyr) Hadi by rejecting and resisting violence, incitement and hatred," the government said in a statement.
In yet another disturbing act of violence against minorities in Bangladesh, Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das was lynched to death by a mob in Mymensingh on Thursday night. Citing local and eyewitness sources, Bangladeshi Bengali media outlet Barta Bazar reported that Dipu was accused of making derogatory comments 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 Das worked, and surrounding areas, sparking tension. He was later beaten by an angry mob and reportedly died on the spot.
Reports suggest that the situation took a gruesome turn after his death, with the crowd taking the body to the Square Masterbari bus stand area, tying it to a tree with a rope, beating it while shouting various slogans and later setting it ablaze.
The crowd then moved the body to the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and set it on fire again, disrupting traffic and spreading panic among local residents. The incident triggered heightened tension in the area, prompting a temporary halt of traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.
Confirming the incident, Bhaluka Upazila Executive Officer, Md Firoz Hossain, said a person was killed over allegations of insulting the Prophet, adding that Das's body is in police custody.
Tension gripped Bangladesh on Friday after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi -- a radical Islamist who was an outspoken critic of India -- triggering protests, violence and vandalism in various parts of the country. Protesters targeted Bangladesh's leading media houses, like Daily Star and Prothom Alo, and the already demolished structure of 32 Dhanmandi, the home of Bangladesh's founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Protests were organised in recent months outside the offices of the dailies by Islamists who blamed the newspapers for their alleged link with India. They also blamed Rahman and her daughter, the ousted premier Sheikh Hasina, for being subservient to India during their rule.
Hadi was a fierce critic of both India and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose 15-year rule of Bangladesh ended in last year's uprising. The Inqilab Moncho group, formed after the ouster of Hasina last year, has been organising street protests and campaigns denouncing Hasina and India.
Since Hasina's ouster, the Inqilab Moncho group has promoted anti-Indian sentiment in the Muslim-majority country. Hasina now lives in self-imposed exile in India. NDTV