Hindu man lynched in Bangladesh over blasphemy claim, body burned to erase evidence

A young Hindu man was brutally beaten to death by a mob in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district, his body later tied to a tree and set on fire, in a chilling act of vigilante violence allegedly triggered by accusations of blasphemy.

According to police, the killing took place on December 18 night in the Square Master Bari Dubalia Para area of Bhaluka upazila. The victim, identified as Dipu Chandra Das, was employed at a local garment factory and lived in the area as a tenant.

An enraged crowd allegedly seized Das around 9 pm, accusing him of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet. He was beaten to death on the spot. In an apparent attempt to destroy evidence and terrorise the community, the attackers then tied his lifeless body to a tree and set it ablaze, police officials told BBC Bangla.

Bhaluka police station duty officer Ripon Mia said law enforcement reached the scene after receiving information and managed to bring the situation under control. The charred body was sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.

“No case has been filed yet,” Mia said, adding that police are attempting to trace the victim’s family. “If his relatives come forward and lodge a complaint, legal action will be taken in accordance with the law.”

Violence resurges amid wider unrest

The killing comes against the backdrop of escalating unrest across Bangladesh following the death of student activist Sharif Osman Hadi, who succumbed to gunshot injuries last week while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore.

Hadi’s death has sparked fresh protests in Dhaka and other cities, with demonstrators demanding justice. The violence has since spilled over into targeted attacks on media institutions, with the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo set on fire. In a further escalation, Dhanmondi 32—the former residence of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, demolished earlier this year—was also torched.

Rights groups and minority advocates have repeatedly warned that mob violence and religious vigilantism are tightening their grip amid political instability, leaving vulnerable communities increasingly exposed in moments of unrest.