Bangladesh unrest: Hindu worker Dipu Das's lynching sparks outrage in Bengal; effigies burnt, boycott calls rise

KOLKATA/SILIGURI: The lynching of Dipu Das, a worker in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, sparked protests across Bengal even as Hindu organisations in Bangladesh on Sunday called it "barbarism being meted out to minorities".

A team from Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jot visited Das's home at Tarakandi in Mymensingh on Sunday and spoke to his family. "The torture Das faced is beyond imagination. It has rarely happened in a civilised society. He was from a lower caste and a Hindu. That was the trigger behind the attack on him," said Kushal Baran Chakraborty, a Sanskrit professor at Chittagong University and a spokesperson for the organisation.




According to Chakraborty, Das for a promotion at the garment factory on his merit. "This enraged other workers who could not accept a man from a minority community being promoted. He was accused of fanning objectionable posts on social media, while the truth is neither Das nor his family owns a mobile," he said, claiming Das's body could not be brought home following resistance from other workers.

In Kolkata, a protest march was held by Bangla Pokkho in front of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission's office on Saturday. Protesters wore black badges and shouted slogans against communal forces active in Bangladesh. Bangla Pokkho general secretary Garga Chatterjee said, Dipu Das's brutal killing shows Bangladesh has turned into a violent nation." He demanded India govt snapped trade and diplomatic ties with Bangladesh.

Activists of a pro-Hindu organisation staged protest demonstrations in Siliguri on Saturday and Sunday to condemn Das's murder. Protesters burnt an effigy of Muhammad Yunus and called for a boycott of Bangladeshi goods. They urged hotels and nursing homes not to provide services to Bangladeshi nationals.

Members of Bangiya Hindu Mahamancha also condemned Das's killing and demanded immediate justice and protection for the Hindu minority in the neighbouring country. Vikramaditya Mandal, president of Bangiya Hindu Mahamancha, stressed repeated attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in Aug last year.

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