Exiled Bangladeshi author and human rights activist Taslima Nasreen on Saturday condemned the lynching of a Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh. She alleged serious lapses by law enforcement and raised concerns about the safety of religious minorities in the country.
Nasreen was reacting to the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a 25-year-old garment factory worker who was lynched by a mob in Bhaluka area of Mymensingh on Thursday over allegations of blasphemy. Officials said Das was beaten to death and his body was later set on fire.
In posts on X, Nasreen alleged that Das was falsely accused by a Muslim co-worker of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet following a workplace dispute. She claimed the allegation was used to incite mob violence against him.
Nasreen also shared a video that has since circulated widely on social media, showing Das speaking to a group of men wearing what appeared to be police uniforms shortly before he was killed. Financialexpress.com can not confirm the authenticity of the video or identify the individuals seen in it.
According to Nasreen, Das was initially rescued by police after the mob attack and taken into custody. “He was a poor laborer. One day, a Muslim coworker wanted to punish him over some trivial matter, so in the middle of a crowd, he announced that Dipu had made derogatory remarks about the Prophet. That was enough. Frenzied followers of the Prophet pounced on Dipu like hyenas and began to tear him apart. Eventually, the police rescued him and took him into custody-meaning Dipu was under police protection,” she posted on X.
“Dipu told the police what had happened, stated that he was innocent, that he had made no comment whatsoever about the Prophet, and that it was all a conspiracy by that coworker. The police did not go after the coworker,” she said.
Questions over police’s conduct
The author claimed the police did not act against the co-worker who made the accusation. “Was it in the excess of this jihadist zeal that they threw Dipu back to those fanatics? Or did jihadist militants shove the police aside and take Dipu out of the station? They held a full-blown celebration-beating Dipu, hanging him, burning him-a jihadist festival,” Nasreen posted while questioning police’s conduct.
“Dipu Chandra Das was the sole breadwinner of his family. With his earnings, his disabled father, mother, wife, and child survived. What will happen to them now? Who will help the relatives? Who will bring the mad murderers to justice? Dipu’s family doesn’t even have the money to flee to India to escape the jihadists’ hands. The poor have no one. They have no country left, not even a religion left,” she added.
Arrests made in the killing
The Bangladeshi interim government confirmed arrests in the case. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said on Saturday that 10 people have been arrested in connection with the lynching.
In a statement posted on X, Yunus said seven suspects were arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and three by the police. He said joint operations were conducted at multiple locations to detain those allegedly involved in the killing.
Yunus did not comment on allegations regarding possible police lapses or the video showing Das with men in police uniform. Authorities have not said whether any law enforcement personnel are under investigation.
Officials said investigations into the incident are ongoing and further arrests are possible.