Fresh evidence has raised serious questions over the role of local police in the lynching and burning alive of a 27-year-old Hindu man in Bangladesh’s Mymensing district, with videos and photographs showing that the victim was inside a police station shortly before he was beaten up and set ablaze by a mob.
Dipu Chandra Das was lynched and set on fire at a public square in Bhaluka town on December 19, while a large crowd bayed for his blood over allegations of blasphemy. The incident occurred amid widespread unrest across Bangladesh following the death of radical outfit leader, Sharif Osman Hadi, in a Singapore hospital.
According to intelligence establishments active in Bangladesh, Das had taken refuge inside the chamber of Bhaluka police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Humayun Kabir before the grisly act was committed. Visual evidences show Das, dressed in a dark blue shirt, pleading with police officers inside the OC’s chamber while an angry mob gathered outside demanding that he be handed over.
Earlier on December 19, Das was assaulted by a group of workers at Phoenix Knitting Ltd, a garments factory in Bhaluka where he was employed. Videos from inside the factory show him being surrounded, beaten and kicked by a mob of workers. He managed to break free and rushed to the local police station seeking protection.
Despite being inside the police station, Das was later either forcibly taken away by the mob or handed over under unclear circumstances. He was subsequently dragged to Bhaluka town square, tied to a pole, hanged, and then set on fire. According to allegations, Das was still alive when petrol was poured on him and ignited, as the crowd cheered.
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After the incident, a unit of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-14) took over the investigation on December 20. RAB-14 Director Naimul Hassan stated that the factory management had “handed over Das to the lynch mob,” which then carried out the killing.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Nazrul Islam echoed a similar version at a press conference on December 20, claiming Das was handed over to the mob while still inside the factory premises. Seven people, including the owner of Phoenix Knitting Ltd, have been arrested so far.
However, video evidence contradicts these claims, clearly showing Das inside the police station shortly before his death – raising doubts about the official narrative of Bangladesh administration and pointing to possible police complicity or negligence.
The lynching took place as violence erupted across several Bangladeshi cities following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, also known as Osman Goni, convenor of the radical group Inquilab Mancha. Goni died of head injuries sustained in a shooting on December 12 in Dhaka’s Purana Paltan area, the same day the Bangladesh Election Commission announced February 12, 2026, as the date for the country’s general elections.
The emergence of videos showing Das inside police custody shortly before his lynching has intensified calls for an independent and transparent probe into the incident, particularly into the conduct of the local police.
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