Another Hindu man lynched in Bangladesh; Police link killing to extortion dispute

A Hindu man was beaten to death by a mob in Bangladesh’s Rajbari district late on Wednesday night, with police linking the killing to an alleged extortion dispute. 

The incident has come days after the lynching of another Hindu man over unverified blasphemy allegations, raising fresh concerns over mob violence in the country.

The victim was identified as 30-year-old Amrit Mondal, also known as Samrat, a resident of the same village. According to police, the attack took place around 11 pm when villagers assaulted Mondal following allegations that he had come to collect extortion money. He was found in a critical condition and rushed to a local hospital, where he was declared dead at around 2 am, as reported by Bangladeshi daily The Daily Star.

Police detained one of Mondal’s associates, Mohammad Selim, and recovered two firearms from his possession, including a pistol and a locally made one-shooter gun. Officials said Mondal had multiple criminal cases registered against him, including a murder case. Police further alleged that he led a local group known as the “Samrat Bahini,” which he had formed to intimidate villagers and extort money in the area.

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Citing local residents, police said Mondal had recently returned to the village after staying in India for a long period and had resumed extortion activities. On Wednesday night, he and several associates allegedly went to the house of a local resident, Shahidul Islam, to demand money. When Shahidul’s family raised an alarm by shouting “robbers,” villagers gathered at the spot and assaulted Mondal. While his associates managed to flee, Selim was caught with weapons and later handed over to the police.

The killing comes close on the heels of another lynching incident in Mymensingh district, where 27-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, a garment factory worker, was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy. Police said Das was tied to a tree, assaulted, and his body was set on fire. His remains were later recovered and sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.

The earlier lynching was condemned by the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, which asserted that there was no place for communal hatred or mob violence in what it described as a “New Bangladesh,” and promised strict action against those responsible.

These incidents have occurred amid heightened unrest in Bangladesh following the death of political activist Sharif Osman Hadi, who succumbed to gunshot injuries while undergoing treatment in Singapore. News of his death triggered protests, vandalism, and attacks on political and diplomatic establishments across several parts of the country, adding to an already volatile situation.