A 29-year-old Hindu man, Amrit Mandal, was killed in Bangladesh's Rajbari district, police said, according to The Daily Star. The incident took place at 11 PM on Wednesday at Hosaindanga Old Market in Pangsha Upazila.
Police discovered him in critical condition and rushed him to the Pangsha Upazila Health Complex, where doctors pronounced him dead at around 2 AM. Sheikh Moinul Islam, officer-in-charge of Pangsha Model Police Station, said Amrit Mandal had reportedly been accused by local residents of extortion, after which the situation escalated into mob violence. Police added that Amrit Mandal was listed in their records as a local group leader known as “Samrat Bahini".
Assistant Superintendent of Police (Pangsha Circle) Debrata Sarkar revealed that he had at least two cases registered against him at Pangsha Police Station, including one for murder.
Dipu Chandra Das' death
The incident occurred just days after a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched by a mob over alleged blasphemy in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district on 18 December. Das, a young garment factory worker who lived as a tenant in Bhaluka Upazila, was accused by locals of making blasphemous comments and was assaulted.
Police said Das was beaten to death, after which his body was tied to a tree and set on fire. The remains were later recovered and sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
The brutal murder of Das drew condemnation from the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, which stated that there was no place for communal hatred or mob violence in what it called a “New Bangladesh", and promised strict action against those involved.
Bangladesh’s Education Adviser CR Abrar visited Dipu Das’s family on behalf of the interim government, expressing sympathy and assuring them of support.
The Office of the Chief Adviser also conveyed its deep sorrow over the killing of Dipu Chandra Das and extended heartfelt condolences to his family.
Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, said in a post on X, “On behalf of the government, Education Adviser Professor C R Abrar visited the bereaved family in Mymensingh on Tuesday to convey the government's sympathy and assurance of support during this difficult time."
The killing occurred amid widespread unrest across Bangladesh after the death of political activist Sharif Osman Hadi, who died from gunshot wounds while receiving medical treatment in Singapore. Reports of his death sparked protests and acts of vandalism.
