Bangladesh violence escalates: Hindu man lynched, set ablaze during anti-India protest

In a blatant act of violence, a 30-year-old Hindu man, identified as Dipu Chandra Das was lynched and set on fire in the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh amid ongoing anti-India protests. The brutal incident took place as violent demonstrations erupted in the country following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a radical Islamist leader and vocal critic of India.

According to local media reports, Das was accused by protesters of insulting Prophet Muhammad and Islam during an event at the Pioneer Knit Composite Factory in Square Masterbari, where he worked. The allegations quickly spread, escalating tensions in the factory and surrounding areas. In a mob frenzy, Das was beaten to death on December 18 night.

The violence did not end there. Eyewitnesses reported that the crowd then dragged Das's lifeless body to the Square Masterbari bus stand, where they tied it to a tree, continued to assault it, and set it ablaze while shouting slogans. In a further display of brutality, the body was later moved to the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and set on fire again, causing traffic disruptions and panic among residents.

The mob's actions occurred against the backdrop of widespread protests and unrest following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a key figure in the July Uprising. Hadi's death has fueled protests and violent clashes, with demonstrators targeting media outlets like Daily Star and Prothom Alo, which they accuse of having ties to India. Protesters have also vandalized symbols of the Bangladesh government, including the demolished residence of the country's founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government condemned the lynching, affirming that there was no place for such violence in a "new Bangladesh." Authorities vowed to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.

The ongoing situation in Bangladesh represents the "greatest strategic challenge" for India since the 1971 Liberation War, according to a parliamentary standing committee on External Affairs chaired by Congress’s Shashi Tharoor. While the committee believes that the situation "will not descend into chaos and anarchy," it stressed that India must approach it with caution.

The committee has provided the government with a series of recommendations, linking the unrest to a combination of factors, including the rise of Islamic radicals, increasing influence from China and Pakistan, and the erosion of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League's dominance.