Garment factory worker Dipu Chandra Das, 27, who was killed in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, was first forced to resign from his job and then handed over to an enraged mob by the factory’s floor in-charge.
He was later beaten to death on allegations of blasphemy and his body was set on fire.
This information was disclosed at a press conference held by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Mymensingh on Saturday afternoon.
In connection with the incident, RAB and the police have separately conducted operations and arrested 10 individuals after reviewing CCTV footage and videos.
Of them, seven were arrested by RAB and three by the police.
Those arrested by RAB are: Mohammad Alamgir Hossain, 38, floor in-charge of Pioneers Knitwears (BD) Limited, Dubaliapara area under Hobirbari union of Bhaluka; Mohammad Miraj Hossain Akon, 46, quality in-charge; and factory workers Mohammad Tarek Hossain, 19, Mohammad Limon Sarkar, 22, Mohammad Manik Mia, 20, Ershad Ali, 39 and Nijhum Uddin, 20. The three individuals arrested by the police are Mohammad Ajmal Hasan, 26 and Mohammad Shahin Mia, 19, residents of Bhaluka and Mohammad Nazmul, 21 from Brahmanbaria.
According to police and local sources, on Thursday night Dipu Chandra Das, an employee of Pioneers Knitwears (BD) Limited, was taken out of the factory and beaten to death following allegations that he had made derogatory remarks about the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him).
At one stage, his naked body was hung from a tree on the median of the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway and set on fire. Following the incident, Dipu’s younger brother filed a case at Bhaluka police station on Friday.
At a press conference held at 1:00 pm on Saturday at his office, RAB-14 Mymensingh commander Naimul Hasan said, “The incident began around 4:00 pm that day (Thursday). The factory floor in-charge forced him (Dipu) to resign and handed him over to an enraged mob. We arrested two factory officials because they did not hand him over to the police and failed to ensure his safety.”
The RAB official further stated, “The issue of blasphemy is extremely vague. We tried to find out what he had actually said, but no one could clarify it. We are investigating whether there was any prior enmity. It has not yet been possible to identify with whom the incident initially began. We have learned that an argument broke out on the factory floor while work was ongoing and it was no longer possible to keep him inside the factory. We arrested the suspects after reviewing video footage. We are making efforts to uncover the cause of the incident and to arrest everyone involved. More information will emerge once the accused are interrogated on remand.”
Alamgir Hossain, the factory floor in-charge currently in RAB custody, told Prothom Alo, “Reports emerged that Dipu had made derogatory remarks about Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) at a tea stall outside the factory, which created tension among the workers inside. The workers demanded that he be dismissed from the factory. At the same time, a group of people gathered outside the factory. To manage the situation, he was released from employment. Although we tried to save the worker, there was a highly volatile situation both inside and outside the factory. The enraged people took Dipu away and carried out the incident.”
Mymensingh additional superintendent of police (administration) Abdullah Al Mamun said that the three individuals arrested by the police were produced before the court this afternoon. A request was made for five days remand.
He added, “The seven suspects arrested by RAB had not been handed over to us as of this afternoon. Once we receive them, we will take appropriate action.”
Dipu Chandra Das had married around three years ago and is survived by a one-and-half-year-old child. With the loss of the family’s sole breadwinner, the family has been plunged into deep uncertainty.
After the post-mortem examination at Mymensingh Medical College morgue yesterday, Friday, the body was handed over to the family and the cremation took place at around 10:00 pm.
Dipu’s brother and the complainant in the case, Opu Chandra Das, told Prothom Alo over the phone, “My brother had been working as a quality supervisor for the past two years. I do not know why they killed him. They claim my brother made derogatory remarks about religion, but there is no evidence. Even if he had said something and it was an offence, the matter could have been dealt with through legal channels. Instead, he was brutally murdered. I demand justice for those terrorists who killed him by making false allegations. At the same time, the question of how his family will survive must also be addressed.”