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Bangladesh govt says will take care of Hindu man's family killed by mob
The Bangladesh interim government will support the family of a Hindu garment worker Dipu Das lynched over blasphemy allegations.
The Bangladesh interim government on Tuesday said it will take full responsibility for the family of a Hindu garment worker who was lynched last week on allegations of blasphemy, even as the killing triggered widespread protests and fresh political unrest across the country.
Education adviser CR Abrar met the family of 25-year-old Dipu Das, who was beaten to death by a mob and set on fire on December 18 in Mymensingh.
Calling the incident a “brutal crime with no excuse,” Abrar said the state had assumed responsibility for the care and welfare of Das’ child, wife and parents.
Abrar said he held discussions with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus before visiting the family and conveyed the government’s “profound sorrow and deepest condolences” on his behalf.
Das’ father, Rabi Chandra Das, demanded justice during the meeting and described the family’s distress, according to local media reports.
Yunus’ office later reiterated that financial and welfare assistance would be extended to the family and that authorities would remain in close contact with them in the coming period.
So far, 12 people have been arrested in connection with the killing.
In a statement, Yunus’ press wing stressed that “allegations, rumours or differences of belief can never excuse violence,” adding that no individual has the right to take the law into their own hands.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law, saying the authority to investigate alleged offences and ensure justice rests solely with the state.
Das' killing sparked protests by factory workers, students and rights groups in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh, while India also expressed concern over the incident.
The lynching coincided with heightened tensions following the death of Osman Hadi, a leader of the radical right-wing cultural group Inqilab Mancha, who died at a Singapore hospital six days after being shot by masked gunmen in Dhaka. Hadi had been a prominent face of last year’s anti-government protests that led to the fall of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
After Hadi’s death, Bangladesh witnessed a fresh wave of unrest, with mobs setting fire to the offices of leading newspapers The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, as well as cultural organisations Chhayanot and Udichi Shilpi Goshti, both founded in the 1960s.
Authorities have urged calm as investigations into both the lynching and the subsequent violence continue.
