After Dipu Chandra Das, another Hindu man was lynched by a mob in Bangladesh’s Rajbari district late on Wednesday night, police said.
The deceased, identified as 29-year-old Amrit Mandal alias Samrat, was
assaulted around 11 pm at Hosaindanga Old Market in Pangsha Upazila and died shortly after the attack.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (Pangsha Circle) Debrata Sarkar confirmed the incident and said that the police rescued Samrat in a critical condition. He was taken to Pangsha Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead around 2 am, The Daily Star reported.
Who Was Amrit Mandal?
According to the police, Amrit Mandal was allegedly accused of extortion by local residents before the situation escalated into mob violence.
Police said Mandal was listed in their records as a local group leader, referred to as “Samrat Bahini”. He was the son of Akshay Mandal, a resident of Hosaindanga village.
According to Pangsha Model Police Station officer-in-charge Sheikh Moinul Islam, Mandal had at least two cases filed against him with Pangsha Police Station, including a murder case, The Daily Star reported.
As per the news outlet citing locals, Mandal had formed a criminal gang and had long been involved in extortion and other criminal activities. After remaining in hiding in India for a long time, he recently returned home and allegedly demanded extortion money from Shahidul Islam, a resident of the village.
What Happened On Wednesday?
As per local reports, Mandal was allegedly accused of extortion by local residents before the situation escalated into mob violence.
Last night, Mandal and members of his group went to Shahidul’s house to collect the money. When the occupants raised an alarm shouting “robbers”, locals rushed to the spot and started beating Samrat.
His other associates managed to flee, while Mohammad Selim, one of his associates, was arrested. The police also recovered two firearms from his possession.
Police said an investigation has been launched to identify those involved in the assault and to establish the sequence of events that led to the killing.
Dipu Chandra Das’s Killing
This is the second incident of mob lynching of a Hindu man in the neighbouring country in a week. On December 18, Dipu Chandra Das, a garment factory worker, was lynched and burnt to death in Mymensingh over alleged blasphemy.
The incident took place in the Dubalia Para area of Square Master Bari in Bhaluka upazila. The 25-year-old man was employed at the Pioneer Knit Composite Factory in the Square Master Bari. As per eyewitnesses, the allegations of blasphemy spread rapidly within the factory premises and surrounding areas, triggering tension. An angry mob later assaulted Das, beating him severely.
After thrashing and killing Das, the mob hung his body from a tree and set it on fire. Meanwhile, the mob that encircled him in Bhaluka, many of whom he knew, took out their smartphones to record the spectacle.
The lynching of Dipu Das, meanwhile, invited sharp condemnation in India, with protests swelling outside the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi.
