Bangladesh lynching shakes India

December 24, 2025

On December 18, 27-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, a garment factory worker in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka area, was seized by a mob, beaten to death, and then hanged from a tree before his body was set on fire along the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway. The killing reportedly began with allegations that he had made derogatory remarks about Islam. But Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion later said there’s no direct evidence that Das ever insulted religion; witnesses couldn’t point to anyone who actually heard or saw him doing anything offensive to religious sentiments. What triggered the mob remains unclear, with some local voices suggesting workplace rivalry and disputes over work issues played a role.

The ghastly visuals and details quickly went viral, becoming a rallying cry for activists and politicians in India who see the killing as part of a worrying pattern of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. Protests were held in cities including Kolkata and Siliguri, with demonstrators condemning the violence and calling on both the Indian government and international community to press Dhaka on protecting religious minorities. Some groups even burned effigies and demanded boycotts of Bangladeshi goods.
Political leaders in India have also weighed in. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi urged the government to raise the issue formally and take up the safety of minorities with Bangladesh.

In the United States, Indian-American lawmakers condemned the lynching as emblematic of broader persecution against Hindus and religious minorities, calling for justice and stronger protections.
Meanwhile, the interim government in Bangladesh, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, has condemned the mob killing and vowed that those responsible “will not be spared,” stressing that such violence has no place in the country. Authorities have arrested multiple suspects in connection with the attack and registered murder cases as part of investigations into how events unfolded.
The incident has come at a tense time in Bangladesh, where political unrest and protests have surged after the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.