A Hindu man was lynched in the Mymensingh district in Bangladesh on Thursday night over allegations of blasphemy. The development comes amid the ongoing unrest in the country following the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was shot last week while campaigning for the February 12 parliamentary elections in the country.
According to a report by BBC Bangla, the victim was identified as Dipu Chandra Das, who used to work at a garment factory in Bhaluka Upazila. At around 9 pm (local time) on Thursday, a mob surrounded Das and started beating him, accusing him of making derogatory statements against Prophet Muhammad.
After beating him to death, the mob tied his body to a tree and set it on fire. The police arrived at the scene later, brought the situation under control and has sent Das' body for a post-mortem. However, no case has been registered so far, the report said.
Unrest in Bangladesh over Hadi's killing
The situation has remained tensed in Bangladesh after Hadi died in Singapore, where he was receiving treatment after being shot last week. His body is expected to arrive in Bangladesh by Friday evening. Hadi, convener of Inquilab Mancha, was a vocal critic of Sheikh Hasina and had played a key role in toppling her government during the students' uprising.
Hadi's supporters have alleged his killers have fled to India and demand that the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh should be closed unless they are handed over. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who has declared one-day state mourning on Saturday, said that Hadi's killers will be given the strictest punishment.
However, his supporters continued their protests, raising anti-India slogans. They even hurled bricks and stones at the residence the Indian Assistant High Commissioner in Chattogram, but failed to cause any damage after the police intervened. Senior Bangladeshi officials have assured the Indian Assitant High Commissioner of security.
