Heartbreaking incident of mob violence in Bangladesh: Hindu youth murdered, father said – tied to a tree and burnt alive

A horrific incident that came to light from Mymensingh district of Bangladesh has shocked the entire country as well as the international community. Here a Hindu youth was allegedly brutally murdered by the mob. The statement given by the father of the deceased in this case has made the cruelty of the incident even more horrifying. The father alleges that his son was first beaten badly, then tied to a tree, poured kerosene on it and set it on fire.

The deceased has been identified as 27-year-old Dipu Chandra Das. The incident occurred on Friday when there were widespread unrest and protests in Bangladesh following the death of youth leader Sharif Usman Hadi. Amidst this turbulent environment, this violent incident came to light, which has raised serious questions on the safety of the minority community.

Dipu Chandra Das’s father Ravilal Das told NDTV that he first got information about this incident through social media. He told that initially someone told him that his son had been beaten badly. Shortly thereafter, a family member came and told that Deepu had been caught by the mob and tied to a tree.

“It was a horrific incident. They tied my son to a tree, then poured kerosene on him and set him on fire. His burnt body was left outside,” Ravilal Das said emotionally. This statement of the father has made the whole matter even more sensitive. He also said that the family is completely devastated after the incident and they have not received any assurance from the government.

The victim’s father alleged that till now he has not been contacted by the Bangladesh government or administration. “No one gave any assurance. No one said anything,” Ravilal Das said, expressing disappointment. According to him, the family has neither received any assurance of security nor any concrete assurance regarding justice.

There has also been a reaction from the interim government and administration of Bangladesh regarding this incident. Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has said that so far seven people have been arrested in this case. According to the government, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has conducted operations at various locations and detained the suspects.

The arrested accused include Mohammed Limon Sarkar (19), Mohammed Tariq Hussain (19), Mohammed Manik Mia (20), Irshad Ali (39), Nijum Uddin (20), Alamgir Hussain (38) and Mohammed Miraj Hussain Akon (46). The administration claims that the investigation is progressing rapidly and the culprits will not be spared.

The Bangladesh government has strongly condemned the incident, saying “there is no place for this kind of violence in the new Bangladesh.” The government statement also said that no person involved in this heinous crime will be spared and strict action will be taken against all.

It is noteworthy that after the death of youth leader Sharif Usman Hadi, violence and protests broke out in many parts of Bangladesh. The trend of these demonstrations gradually moved towards political as well as communal and international issues. Anti-India slogans were raised in protests at many places and demonstrations were also held near the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and the subsidiary high commissions in Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi.

Not only this, some media institutions were also targeted during the unrest. According to reports, the office of ‘The Daily Star’, one of the country’s leading newspapers, was also attacked. These incidents have raised serious concerns about the law and order situation in Bangladesh.

Earlier, the Indian government had also taken a tough stance regarding the deteriorating security situation in the neighboring country. Bangladesh High Commissioner Riyaz Hamidullah was summoned to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, where a formal protest was lodged regarding the security of the Indian mission in Dhaka and the threat posed by extremist elements.

Human rights organizations and social activists have strongly condemned the murder of Dipu Chandra Das. He says that this incident is not just the murder of one person, but it is an alarming sign of increasing violence against minorities and the tendency of mobs to take law into their own hands. The organizations have appealed to ensure safety and justice to the victim’s family while demanding an independent and impartial investigation.

Overall, this incident in Mymensingh has emerged as a big challenge for Bangladesh. On one hand the government is talking about establishing the rule of law, while on the other hand such incidents raise serious questions on the ground reality. Now it remains to be seen how transparent the investigation is and how long will the victim’s family get justice.