Bangladesh arrests seven accused in mob killing of Hindu youth

Bangladesh makes arrests in lynching that exposed minority insecurity

December 20, 2025

Seven arrested, but questions remain after Hindu lynching in Bangladesh

In yet another chilling reminder of rising radical violence in Bangladesh, a 27-year-old Hindu youth was lynched to death in Mymensingh district, triggering outrage and exposing the deepening insecurity faced by religious minorities in the country.

Bangladesh’s chief adviser Muhammad Yunus on Saturday said seven people have been arrested in connection with the brutal killing of Dipu Chandra Das, identified as a Sanatan Hindu.

In a post on X, Yunus said the arrests were carried out by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) following coordinated raids in the area.

“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,” he said.

Mob justice targets minority Hindu

According to official details, those arrested include 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 lynching has once again raised alarm over the normalisation of mob violence, particularly against minorities, amid political unrest and radical street mobilisation.

Yunus said RAB-14 units conducted multiple operations across Baluka to track down the accused, underscoring the gravity of the crime.

Lynching amid post-assassination unrest

The killing took place amid widespread unrest following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a youth leader associated with last year’s student-led July Uprising and spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha.

Hadi died on Thursday at a hospital in Singapore, days after being shot in the head by masked gunmen in Dhaka on December 12. His death triggered protests that quickly spiralled into violence, with mobs taking to the streets.

The lynching of Dipu Chandra Das occurred against this volatile backdrop, highlighting how radicalised anger is being redirected at vulnerable communities.

Government condemnation rings hollow

Earlier on Friday, Bangladesh’s interim government condemned the killing, asserting that such violence had “no place in the new Bangladesh.”

“We express deep condemnation over the incident in Mymensingh in which a Hindu man was beaten to death. No one involved in this brutal crime will be spared,” the Yunus administration said in a statement.

However, critics argue that repeated condemnations have failed to stem the pattern of Islamist-driven mob violence, particularly targeting Hindus, journalists, and dissenting voices.

Media houses attacked, journalists threatened

Even as the government called Sharif Osman Hadi a “martyr” and urged restraint, radical mobs vandalised and torched offices of leading national dailies, including The Daily Star and Prothom Alo.

Journalists narrowly escaped physical harm, raising further concerns about shrinking press freedom and mob intimidation in Bangladesh.

The killing of a Hindu youth, attacks on media institutions, and the government’s struggle to enforce law and order collectively underline a grim reality: radical street power continues to dictate the terms in Bangladesh, with minorities paying the highest price.

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