New Video Surfaces of Hindu Man Tortured, Harassed, and Lynched to Death in Bangladesh

Dhaka: As the controversies surrounding the gruesome lynching of Dipu Chandra Das (27) in Dhaka continues, a new video circulating online shows Chandra being tortured inside a factory in Bangladesh. The activists, who claimed that he was tortured and killed over false charges, stated that the footage confirmed that police handed him over to a radical Islamist mob. 

They further asserted that he was facing sustained harassment and was under police protection at the time. Chandra, who was the sole breadwinner of his family, hounded by Islamists, lynched, and set ablaze by the mob in the Valuka area of Mymensingh district. 

According to local reports, the violence was triggered by allegations that the victim had made blasphemous remarks. Authorities, however, have not confirmed these claims.

Earlier in the day, Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion arrested seven people in connection with the mob killing, officials said.

Confirming the arrests, Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of the Interim Government, said in a post on X, “The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested seven individuals as suspects in the beating murder of Dipu Chandra Das (27), a Sanatan Hindu youth, in Baluka, Mymensingh.”

According to authorities, RAB-14 carried out coordinated operations at multiple locations in and around Mymensingh and detained seven suspects believed to be directly involved in the assault. The arrested individuals have been identified as Md. Limon Sarkar (19), Md. Tarek Hossain (19), Md. Manik Mia (20), Ershad Ali (39), Nijum Uddin (20), Alomgir Hossain (38) and Md. Miraj Hossain Akon (46).

The video and activist claims have raised concerns over the circumstances leading to the killing and whether the victim was adequately protected before the attack.

What triggered Protests and Anti‑India Slogans Across Bangladesh?

Bangladesh witnessed unrest late Thursday night after the death of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, with protests spiralling into violence across parts of the capital.

Offices of two of the country’s leading newspapers – The Daily Prothom Alo and The Daily Star – were attacked, vandalised and set on fire as protesters accused the newspapers of ignoring Hadi’s shooting and protecting political elites.

The anti-India slogans filled the air, as Hadi had long criticised India’s role in Bangladesh’s politics. His supporters believe India backed Hasina’s long rule and continues to influence events inside Bangladesh.

During the protests, people accused certain political parties, media outlets, and officials of acting on behalf of India and working against Bangladesh’s interests.

Who was Hadi?

The young activist, who became a prominent voice for students and youth during last year’s movement, died from gunshot injuries a week after he was attacked in Dhaka.

Hadi was travelling in a battery‑powered auto‑rickshaw on December 12 when two men on a motorcycle followed him, and one of them shot him in the head. Doctors in Dhaka said his brain stem was badly damaged. He was flown to Singapore General Hospital on December 15 for advanced treatment, but the injuries were too severe.

His supporters say he represented a new kind of leadership – outspoken, fearless, and deeply critical of India’s influence in Bangladesh.

Earlier in the day, the funeral prayer service for Sharif Osman Hadi recently concluded in Bangladesh. The prayer service drew a large crowd to pray for the Inqilab Moncho convenor. In accordance with the family's wishes, Hadi was buried beside the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.

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