_625x300_1529047966012.jpg?downsize=160:120 "'Not War But Vengeance': US Launches Massive Strikes Against ISIS In Syria")
- A Hindu man was lynched by an Islamist mob in Bangladesh over alleged blasphemy
- The victim's body was burned and displayed publicly, sparking outrage and fear
- His burnt head and torso were then tied outside, his father told NDTV
A Hindu man's lynching by an Islamist mob has renewed concerns for minorities as fresh violence grips Bangladesh after the death of a prominent anti-India radical leader.
Dipu Chandra Das, who worked at a garment factory in Mymensingh, was beaten to death on Thursday night for allegedly insulting Islam, while some violent protesters demanding justice for the assassination of Osman Sharif Hadi vandalised key landmarks over a hundred kilometres away in Dhaka.
After Das's lynching, his lifeless body was tied to a tree and set on fire, with dozens of people seen celebrating the barbarity.
The victim's father appeared hopeless as he narrated the incident to NDTV, despite Muhammad Yunus's interim government condemning the lynching and ordering action. "No one from the government has given any assurance. No one said anything," Ravilal Das said, recounting that he first got the news of his son's killing from Facebook.
"We started hearing things from Facebook, and then more people were talking about it. We found out about it when someone told me he was beaten badly. Half an hour later, my uncle came and told me they took my son and they tied him to a tree," he recounted.
Read: Who Was Dipu Chandra Das, Hindu Man Lynched In Bangladesh
"Then they poured kerosene on him and set him on fire. His burned body was left outside. They tied the burnt torso and head outside. It was horrible," the grieving father told NDTV from his current location in Bangladesh.
He couldn't pinpoint blame as yet on the figures behind the mob lynching, whether it was the Jamaat-E-Islami Bangladesh or its affiliate, Chhatra Shibir. "We can't say for sure whether they were from Chhatra Shibir or not. Nobody can be certain; it's what people are saying."
At least seven people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
The lynching of Dipu Das has drawn attention to the plight of minorities in Bangladesh, especially the Hindus, with Hadi's death after being shot at just months before general elections becoming a triggering point for Islamic hardliners to continue with their rampage and target institutions that do not fit in with their ideology.
The Reaction To Barbaric Lynching
Former Member of Parliament and Information Minister under the Sheikh Hasina government, Mohammad Ali Arafat, has highlighted how radical Islamist forces are taking over the streets of Bangladesh under the garb of protests over Hadi's death.
"Hadi's supporters held a sit-in at Shahbagh on Friday (December 19), demanding justice for the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi. The program later turned into a gathering dominated by jihadist and radical Islamist elements, with leaders such as Jashimuddin Rahmani and Ataur Rahman Bikrampuri of Towhidi Janata in attendance. Members of other extremist groups were also present and delivered provocative speeches," he said in a post on social media platform X.
"Jashimuddin Rahmani, a jihadist and head of the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansarullah Bangla Team, was previously detained under Bangladesh's Anti-Terrorism Act during the Awami League government for supporting the killings of atheist bloggers murdered between 2013 and 2016. He has since been released under the current Yunus-led administration and has publicly reiterated and justified his support for those killings," he added in the post.
Arafat also alleged that the mob that arrived at 32 Dhanmondi to destroy the remains of the structure again were carrying ISIS flags.
"Radical Islamist groups once again attempted to demolish what remains of the Dhanmondi 32 residence, openly waving ISIS flags. When these extremists first attacked the house, Yunus neither took steps to protect it nor ensured that those responsible were held accountable. Instead, he downplayed the mob violence and even blamed Sheikh Hasina, claiming her speeches had provoked the crowd," he said.
The lynching also saw fierce voices from within India, a country that had been raising concern over minority rights in Bangladesh. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a prominent Opposition figure, called it "extremely alarming" and urged the centre to take cognisance of the rising violence against minorities in Bangladesh.
"The news of the brutal murder by a mob of Hindu youth Deepu Chandra Das in Bangladesh is extremely alarming. In any civilized society, discrimination, violence, and murder based on religion, caste, identity, etc., are crimes against humanity. The Government of India should take cognizance of the rising violence against Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist minorities in the neighboring country and firmly raise the issue of their safety with the Government of Bangladesh," she said.
