‘Beaten, hung, burnt, a Jihadist festival’: Taslima Nasreen after Hindu youth lynched in Bangladesh

Exiled Bangladeshi author and human rights activist Taslima Nasreen on Saturday strongly condemned the lynching of Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das and described the events following his killing as a “jihadist festival,” raising serious questions about police conduct and the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh.

Reacting after the incident, Nasreen alleged that Dipu, a factory worker from Bhaluka in Mymensingh district, had been falsely accused of blasphemy by a Muslim coworker, a claim she said was deliberately used to incite mob violence.

Sharing a video of Dipu while he was under police custody on the social media platform X, Nasreen wrote: “Dipu Chandra Das worked at a factory in Bhaluka, Mymensingh. He was a poor labourer.

One day, a Muslim coworker wanted to punish him over some trivial matter, so in the middle of a crowd, he announced that Dipu had made derogatory remarks about the Prophet. That was enough.”

According to Nasreen, Dipu was initially rescued by the police and placed under protection. “Eventually, the police rescued him and took him into custody — meaning Dipu was under police protection,” she said, adding that Dipu consistently denied the allegations and told authorities the accusation was fabricated.

However, Nasreen questioned how Dipu was later handed back to the mob. “The police did not go after the coworker. Many among the police harbour a fondness for jihad. Was it in the excess of this jihadist zeal that they threw Dipu back to those fanatics? Or did jihadist militants shove the police aside and take Dipu out of the station?” she wrote.

Describing the aftermath of the lynching, Nasreen said the violence took on the nature of a celebration. “They held a full-blown celebration — beating Dipu, hanging him, burning him — a jihadist festival,” she alleged.

Highlighting the consequences beyond the killing, Nasreen drew attention to Dipu’s family, who depended entirely on his income.

“Dipu Chandra Das was the sole breadwinner of his family. With his earnings, his disabled father, mother, wife, and child survived,” she said, questioning who would now ensure justice or provide support.

She also warned that Dipu’s family lacks the means to escape continuing threats. “Dipu's family doesn't even have the money to flee to India to escape the jihadists' hands. The poor have no one. They have no country left, not even a religion left,” Nasreen added.

The incident has once again sparked debate over mob violence, misuse of blasphemy allegations, and accountability in cases involving religious minorities in Bangladesh.