Hundreds protested Tuesday outside Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi against the lynching of 27-year-old Hindu factory worker Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh district. Accused of blasphemy against the Prophet, he was beaten and burned alive last week; at least 10 suspects have been arrested.
The killing has inflamed India-Bangladesh ties ahead of Dhaka’s parliamentary election, prompting visa service suspensions. Relations soured further after ex-PM Sheikh Hasina fled to India amid deadly protests last year.
Organized by Hindu groups, demonstrators clashed with police at barricades, chanted slogans, burned pictures of interim leader Muhammad Yunus, and held “boycott Bangladesh” posters. “We must amplify Hindus’ voices in Bangladesh—as long as one is harmed, we won’t stop,” one told India Today. Similar rallies occurred nationwide, including Jammu and Kashmir.
Bangladesh summoned India’s envoy Tuesday over Saturday’s New Delhi protest and “violent” demonstrations at other missions, demanding investigations. India’s foreign ministry called the weekend event a brief gathering of “20-25 youths” quickly dispersed, reaffirming protection for foreign missions.
Dhaka faces added domestic turmoil from protests over youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi’s killing last week during his election campaign launch, escalating into arson against media and cultural sites.
