Bangladesh arrests 7 in death of Hindu youth, Taslima Nasreen voices concern of minority safety
By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – According to local media reports on Saturday 7 people have been arrested in the killing of Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, as Taslima Nasreen’s reacted about mob violence and minority safety in Bangladesh.
The killing of a 27-year-old Hindu factory worker in central Bangladesh has triggered arrests and fresh political scrutiny, with the interim government confirmed action by the Rapid Action Battalion.
Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, in a post on X said RAB had arrested seven suspects in connection with the death of Dipu Chandra Das in Valuka, Mymensingh.
“In the incident of beating to death Sanatan Dharma adherent youth Dipu Chandra Das (27) in Valuka, Mymensingh, the Rapid Action Battalion has arrested 7 individuals as suspects,” Yunus wrote.
He added that RAB-14 conducted operations at multiple locations to make the arrests.
According to the post, those arrested are Md Limon Sarkar (19), Md Tarek Hossain, Md Manik Mia (20), Ershad Ali (39), Nijum Uddin (20), Alomgir Hossain (38), and Md Miraj Hossain Akon (46).
Writer and activist Taslima Nasreen offered a sharply critical account of the incident in a separate post on X, described Dipu as a poor labourer working at a factory in Bhaluka, Mymensingh.
According to Nasreen, a co-worker allegedly accused Dipu of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet over a trivial workplace dispute, triggered a mob attack.
She claimed that Dipu was later taken into police custody, told police he was innocent, and alleged a conspiracy by the co-worker. Nasreen further questioned how Dipu was allegedly returned to the attackers after being in police protection, alleged that he was subsequently beaten, hanged and burned.
Nasreen in her post, also drew attention to the human cost left behind as Dipu was the sole earning member of his family, supporting his disabled parents, wife and child.
The incident has reopened old, uncomfortable questions about mob fury, the misuse of blasphemy claims, and how safe religious minorities really are in Bangladesh, questions that still have no clear answers, she concluded in her post.
