Bangladesh’s Detective Branch arrested Mohammad Rajib, 22, in Gazipur for the brutal mob lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, reported India Today
Rajib, identified through CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts, allegedly participated in dragging and beating the 27-year-old Hindu garment worker on 18 December 2025.
This follow-up arrest follows that of the prime instigator, Imam Yasin Arafat, as police continue to hunt for others involved in the public killing and burning of the victim.
Killing of Dipu Das
The killing of Dipu Chandra Das was not a spontaneous act but a chilling sequence of betrayal. Das, a worker at Pioneer Knit Composite Factory, was reportedly forced to resign by factory supervisors just moments before his death.
Despite his pleas and a formal apology for any perceived slight during a factory event, he was pushed out of the gate into a waiting mob of nearly 150 people.
Evidence suggests that colleagues and local influencers used unverified blasphemy rumours to settle workplace scores. The victim was then tied to a tree at the Mastarbari intersection, beaten to death, and his body set ablaze in full public view.
Arrests Made
Investigators tracked Mohammad Rajib to a garment unit in Gazipur using a combination of technical surveillance and local intelligence. According to senior police officials, CCTV footage from nearby commercial establishments clearly shows Rajib’s active involvement in the assault.
This arrest brings the total number of individuals held in connection with the lynching to 22. Nine of the previously arrested suspects have already recorded confessional statements before a court, providing deeper insights into the chain of command during the riot.
Investigation
The primary focus of the probe remains on those who mobilised the crowd. Earlier this month, Mymensingh police arrested Imam Yasin Arafat from Dhaka, who is accused of leading the mob through inflammatory slogans.
Arafat allegedly used his position at a local mosque to incite violence within minutes of the rumours spreading. “Arafat directly spearheaded the incident, from the gate of the factory to the intersection where the body was burnt,” said Additional Superintendent of Police Abdullah Al Mamun.
The police are now examining if other local leaders or factory officials played a role in handing Das over to his killers, as the investigation expands beyond those physically present at the scene.
International Outrage
The sheer brutality of the incident has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights organisations and the international community. Rights groups have highlighted that the victim, a father of a three-year-old daughter, did not even own a smartphone, making the “digital blasphemy” allegations even more absurd.
The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has faced immense pressure to ensure that minorities are not made targets of vigilante justice.
While the arrests provide some relief, activists argue that the “culture of impunity” regarding mob violence must be dismantled. The case has become a litmus test for the administration’s ability to protect vulnerable citizens and maintain the rule of law in a volatile political climate.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe that the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das is a harrowing manifestation of how misinformation can be weaponised to destroy lives. The fact that a worker was “handed over” to a mob by his own workplace is a systemic failure that borders on complicity.
We stand for a world where religious sentiments are not used as a mask for personal vendettas or industrial disputes. Justice for Dipu Das must be swift, transparent, and serve as a powerful deterrent against the growing menace of mob justice.
