Another Hindu Man Lynched In Bangladesh, Police Claim Extortion Bid: Report

Another Hindu man has been beaten to death in Bangladesh, days after Dipu Chandra Das was lynched and his body was set ablaze, local media reported on Thursday. 

Reports said 29-year-old Amrit Mondal alias Samrat was killed in Rajbari's Pangsha sub-district - around three-and-a-half hours from the capital, Dhaka - around 11 pm.

Local residents told Bangladeshi media outlet The Daily Star that Samrat was the leader of a criminal gang, called the 'Samrat Bahini', which was involved in extortion, among other activities. Samrat had fled the country after Sheikh Hasina's ouster last year and had returned to his village, Hosendanga in Kalimohor union, recently. 

At approximately 11 pm on Wednesday, he and some other members of his gang allegedly went to the house of a villager, Shahidul Islam, to extort money. The villager's family members began shouting that the gang members were robbers and other villagers managed to catch hold of Samrat, who was beaten to death, while most other gang members managed to flee.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (Pangsha Circle) Debrata Sarkar said police rescued Samrat from the mob and he was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead. Sarkar said Samrat had at least two cases registered against him at the Pangsha Police Station, including one of murder. 

One of Samrat's associates, Mohammed Selim, was arrested with a pistol and another gun.

In a statement, the Bangladesh government claimed preliminary investigations have revealed that the killing of Samrat was not communal in any way.

"The government strongly condemns this killing. The government clearly states that it does not support any form of extrajudicial activity, mob violence, or violence of any kind. Legal action will be taken against everyone directly or indirectly involved in this incident. Law enforcement agencies are continuing their investigation," it said.

Dipu Das Lynching

The 29-year-old's killing comes at a time when the atmosphere in Bangladesh is already charged following the lynching of factory worker Dipu Chandra Das, which has raised questions about the safety of minorities in the country. 

Das, 27, was accused of blasphemy by a co-worker in Mymensingh, around three hours from Dhaka, last Thursday and was lynched by a mob. His body was then hanged and set ablaze.

The brutal murder of the 27-year-old has drawn widespread condemnation and sparked protests, including in various places in India. Authorities have since said there is no evidence that Das had committed blasphemy and the killing could be a result of a work dispute. 

At least 12 people have been arrested in connection with the lynching and Bangladesh's Education Adviser CR Abrar visited Das' family on Tuesday to express his condolences. 

"On behalf of the government, Education Adviser Professor C R Abrar visited the bereaved family in Mymensingh on Tuesday to convey the government's sympathy and assurance of support during this difficult time," Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, said in a post on X.