Last Updated:January 01, 2026, 19:37 IST

The garment worker’s family and supporters call his death a case of systematic targeting of Hindus as concerns rise over the increasing significance of Jamaat

In Bangladesh, Dipu Chandra Das’s small hut is filled with two cries—one of his one-and-a-half-year-old daughter who is hassled by the crowd of unknown people and second of his 25-year-old widow, Megha, who now faces an uncertain future.

Das, a young garment worker in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh district, was brutally lynched by a mob on December 18. The frenzied crowd accused the 27-year-old of making derogatory remarks about Islam and Prophet Muhammad during a factory event and then brutally lynched him before hanging his body from a tree and setting it ablaze.

As the incident led to an uproar across the globe, the Bangladesh government sent emissaries to Das’s family to promise them that their future is safe. However, many feel that with elections over in February, the promises will eventually dry up.

Outside the hut, young children enjoy their games and all seems normal. However, the park where they usually play is filled with huge posters commemorating Das—ending the deception of normalcy.

Das’s rituals have been completed for now and the next ceremony will be held after 45 days. But even 14 days since his death, the family remains inconsolable.

Speaking to News18, Megha says she spoke to her husband from his clothing factory at 4pm the day he was murdered. Das’s mother says he called her but she could only say hello before he disconnected the call.

The garment worker’s family and supporters call his death a case of systematic targeting of Hindus. Nalini Kaanu Sarkar, who heads the Bangladesh Hindu Parishad and has been parked at Das’s home, tells News18: “It’s not new. It has been happening for some time now. Women are unsafe and Hindu men can’t get promotions as they are easy targets. This is shameful.”

So, what next for the family and others like them?

The rise of Jamaat is a concern for Hindus in Bangladesh. There are around 13 million Hindus in the country, who make up 7-9 per cent of its population. The Jamaat is known for its radical Islamic policies and is keen to see they are followed through. In many parts of the country, it’s this view that is gaining traction.

There is also palpable anger against India for sheltering Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. It’s this anger which often spills over against Hindus in a bid to hurt India.

Sources in the Bangladesh government have complained that India is using the country as a pawn to nurture its own politics. For instance, in Bengal, the issue of illegal intruders has become a poll plank. And while Bangladesh would want to have a good equation with India, the attack on Hindus will be a sore point, especially in an election year.

For India, there is no way it can go soft on Hindus being attacked. And this is true across party lines. While BJP has made this an election issue, Congress leader Priyanka Vadra too had raised it in the Lok Sabha.

Amid the din, Das’s family, and many like them, continue to live in fear but refuse to leave the country. “This is our country. We have worked here for generations. Why should we leave? Why not make it safe for us instead?” his father asks.

This is a question that poll aspirants like Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)’s acting chairman Tariq Rahman, the Jamaat, and student organisations will have to answer.

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