Days after a 27-year-old Hindu garment worker was lynched in Bangladesh, US Congressman Ro Khanna and a US state department spokesperson have condemned the “horrific” incident, calling them “vile acts
of hatred and bigotry”.
Dipu Chandra Das was lynched and burnt to death in Mymensingh over alleged blasphemy. 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.
Residents of Das’ village said his killing has left the Hindu community deeply shaken. A local Hindu leader who assisted with translation said the incident has created a lasting sense of fear among families in the area.
In a post on X, US Congressman Khanna said: “The killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu garment worker in Bangladesh is horrific and my thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.” “We must unequivocally condemn and speak out against these vile acts of hatred and bigotry,” he said.
A US State Department spokesperson told IANS, “The United States unequivocally condemns religious violence in all its forms, and we welcome measures the Bangladeshi Interim Government is taking to ensure the safety and security for all communities in Bangladesh.”
The spokesperson added that Washington supports “religious freedom and freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association”.
According to the MEA, around 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities have been reported during the tenure of Bangladesh’s interim government.
Another Hindu man, Amrit Mandal, was lynched by a mob over allegations of extortion.
Meanwhile, some youth leaders were also reported to have made provocative anti-India statements. Recently, a mob also pelted the Indian Assistant High Commission building in Chittagong with stones.
These incidents have sparked protests worldwide. According to Moneycontrol, members of the Bengali Hindu Adarsha Sangha (BHAS) in UK organised a “Justice for Hindus” demonstration outside the Bangladesh High Commission in London, condemning what they described as the “unethical arrest of interfaith voice Chinmaya Prabhu” and the lynching of Dipu Das.
Bangladesh, currently governed by an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, is grappling with a volatile mix of high-stakes electoral preparation and a breakdown in law and order that has left minority communities in a state of high alarm.
