Another Hindu Man Lynched to Death in Bangladesh, Police Claimed him to be Extortionist
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Dec 25: Within days of the brutal lynching to death of a Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das, another Hindu man has been beaten to death in Bangladesh, local media reported on Thursday.
Reports said 29-year-old Amrit Mondal alias Samrat was killed in Rajbari’s Pangsha sub-district – around three-and-a-half hours from the capital, Dhaka, around 11 pm, underscoring continuing concerns over mob violence in parts of the country. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death, which allegedly followed an attempted extortion, even as tensions remain high amid recent unrest and political uncertainty.
Local residents told Bangladeshi media outlets that Samrat was the leader of a criminal gang, called the ‘Samrat Bahini’, which was involved in extortion, among other activities. Samrat had fled the country after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster last year and had returned to his village, Hosendanga in Kalimohor union, recently.
At approximately 11 pm on Wednesday, he and some other members of his gang allegedly went to the house of a villager, Shahidul Islam, to extort money. The villager’s family members began shouting that the gang members were robbers and other villagers managed to catch hold of Samrat, who was beaten to death, while most other gang members managed to flee.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (Pangsha Circle) Debabrata Sarkar said police rescued Samrat from the mob and he was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead. Sarkar said Samrat had at least two cases registered against him at the Pangsha Police Station, including one of murder. One of Samrat’s associates, Mohammed Selim, was arrested with a pistol and another gun.
The 29-year-old’s killing comes at a time when the atmosphere in Bangladesh is already charged following the lynching of factory worker Dipu Chandra Das, which has raised questions about the safety of minorities in the country. Das, 27, was accused of blasphemy by a co-worker in Mymensingh last Thursday and was lynched by a mob. His body was then hanged and set ablaze.
The brutal murder of the 27-year-old has drawn widespread condemnation and sparked protests, including in various places in India. Authorities have since said there was no evidence that Das had committed blasphemy and the killing could be a result of a work dispute. At least 12 people have been arrested in connection with the lynching and Bangladesh’s Education Adviser CR Abrar visited Das’ family on Tuesday to express his condolences.
“On behalf of the government, Education Adviser Professor C R Abrar visited the bereaved family in Mymensingh on Tuesday to convey the government’s sympathy and assurance of support during this difficult time,” Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, said in a post on X.
Rights groups in Bangladesh have repeatedly warned that vigilante violence and public assaults have increased in recent months, particularly in rural areas. Authorities have said investigations are under way and have urged the public not to take the law into their own hands, stressing that those involved in mob violence would be held accountable under the law.
