In Dhaka, demonstrators gathered outside the National Press Club to protest the killing of 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, a textile factory worker from Bhaluka near the capital. Protesters alleged that Das was falsely accused of blasphemy before being attacked by a mob. They claimed he was tied to a tree and burned alive, calling the incident a symbol of fear for minority communities.
Participants at the protest said minorities are increasingly targeted over visible religious markers, including the wearing of a kalava (sacred thread). Several speakers alleged that Hindus are being viewed with suspicion and, in some cases, branded as foreign agents. Protesters claimed that more than 50 non-Muslims have been killed in Bangladesh since January this year and that blasphemy laws are being misused to justify violence.
Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion has stated that its investigation has found no evidence that Das made any social media post that hurt religious sentiments. Officials confirmed that 12 people have been arrested in connection with the murder.
Parallel protests were also held outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the gathering was small and peaceful, involving around 20–25 people, and posed no security threat. Bangladesh, however, disputed this assessment, calling India’s description an attempt to downplay the seriousness of the issue.
The protests come amid heightened scrutiny of minority safety in Bangladesh. In a separate incident, a Hindu rickshaw puller in Jhenaidah district was reportedly assaulted by a mob after being accused of links to India’s intelligence agency, allegedly due to a sacred thread on his wrist. Police later intervened and released him safely.
Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also accused the interim government under Muhammad Yunus of allowing extremist elements to operate freely, claims the current administration has not formally addressed.
Authorities have said maintaining law and order is a priority ahead of national elections, even as minority groups continue to demand stronger action and accountability.
