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- By Supratik Das
- Sat, 27 Dec 2025 10:14 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A young Hindu garment worker was brutally lynched and his body set on fire by a mob in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district, triggering outrage at home and abroad and renewing concerns over the safety of religious minorities amid ongoing unrest in the country.
Dipu Chandra Das, 29, was attacked last week in the Bhaluka area after allegations surfaced that he had insulted religious sentiments. The mob thrashed him to death, hung his body from a tree and set it on fire. Authorities later said there is no evidence to support the blasphemy claim.
Father Alleges Conspiracy
Das’s family has strongly rejected the blasphemy allegation, claiming the killing was the result of a conspiracy linked to job rivalry. Speaking to NDTV, his father said that his son had secured his factory job through a fair selection process and was performing well. He said Dipu had become a target of jealousy after being shortlisted for promotion. “My son got the job through a lottery system. He was a BA pass and was doing well,” the grieving father said. “Some people who didn’t get jobs kept threatening him. They said they would kill him if he didn’t give them work. How could he do that?” Authorities later said there is no direct evidence that Das made any remarks hurting religious sentiments.
Breadwinner Lost, Family In Shock
Dipu was the sole breadwinner of his family, which lives in a small tin-roofed house about 140 kilometres from Dhaka. His elder brother told NDTV that the family is now struggling to cope, both emotionally and financially. “He was the only one who fed the family,” the brother said. “Now everything has collapsed.”
A village elder, who knew Dipu since childhood, described him as honest and soft-spoken. “You won’t find another man like him in this area,” he said, adding that the killing has left minorities in the village terrified. Dipu’s wife, Meghna Rani, has been left deeply traumatised by the incident. Family members said she has remained largely silent since her husband’s death, unable to process the brutality of what happened. Their young daughter is too small to understand why her father will never return home. “The child keeps looking around,” a relative said quietly. “She doesn’t know what death means.”
Compensation ‘Felt Like An Insult’
The Bangladesh government announced compensation for the family, including cash assistance, food items, a blanket and a sewing machine. However, the family told NDTV that the initial support felt inadequate given the scale of the loss. “They gave 25,000 taka, rice, a blanket and a sewing machine. Later, we received a cheque of one lakh taka,” a village elder said. “We believe the government can and should do more.”
While arrests have been made and an investigation is underway, Dipu Chandra Das’s family says justice will only be served when the truth behind the false allegations and the role of those who spread them is fully exposed.