‘Blocked by the crowd’: Bangladesh police on mob lynching of Hindu worker Dipu; blame 'late call'

Bangladesh police have given a stark account of how a Hindu garment worker was killed by a mob in Mymensingh, admitting that a furious crowd and a massive traffic jam prevented officers from reaching the spot on time, and suggesting that a delayed call for help may have cost him his life.

Also read: 'Hostility towards India being manufactured by extremists,' says ex-Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina
Dipu Chandra Das, 25, was beaten to death on Thursday night after allegations spread that he had “hurt religious sentiments”. Speaking to the newspaper, Md Farhad Hossain Khan, superintendent of Industrial Police in Mymensingh, said he was informed of the incident by an assistant sub-inspector at around 8.00pm. By then, the situation had spiralled beyond control.



Bangladesh law enforcement agencies have arrested two more individuals in connection with the killing of Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, bringing the total number of arrests to 12. According to The Daily Star, the latest arrests were made early Sunday. The suspects, identified as Ashik (25) and Kaium (25), have been handed over to Bhaluka Police Station along with the other detainees.

“Immediately, we started running towards the spot, but it was too late. Hundreds of people were on the road, and it was very difficult to reach the place through the huge crowd. When we reached the factory gate, we saw the body being carried by a furious mob towards the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, about two kilometres away. A 10-kilometre traffic jam was created for nearly three hours, seriously obstructing the movement of law enforcement agencies,” the SP told The Daily Star.

He added that his office was about 15 kilometres from the factory, while the local Bhaluka police station was much closer. “Just a timely call could have saved Dipu's life, but it was not made,” he said.

The incident took place at Pioneer Knitwears (BD) Ltd in Jamirdia, Bhaluka. According to Sakib Mahmud, the factory’s senior manager (admin), a group of workers began protesting inside the factory around 5:00 pm, accusing Dipu of blasphemy. “There was no proof of the allegations,” Mahmud said, but the protest escalated as hundreds of workers gathered.

Around 8:45 pm, agitated people broke open a gate, entered the factory, dragged Dipu out of the security room and assaulted him. Factory sources told The Daily Star that local residents later joined the attack. Dipu was killed on the spot, his body taken to the highway and set on fire.

Bangladesh's interim government has condemned the lynching, warning that those responsible “will not be spared”.

What triggered the chaos?

The current unrest unfolded after the killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

At an emergency press briefing on Sunday, Additional Inspector General of Police Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said security agencies are actively searching for Faisal Karim Masud, identified as the gunman. He added there was no confirmed information that the suspect had fled the country, cautioning that criminals often spread false rumours.

Islam said investigators have not found concrete evidence linking any political party to the murder, though efforts to gather accurate information are ongoing. Detective Branch chief Shafiqul Islam said the killing appeared politically motivated, but all angles were being examined.

Hadi, 32, was shot during an election campaign in Dhaka on December 12 and died later in Singapore.