US Calls Bangladeshi Hindu Man's Lynching "Horrific", Slams "Acts Of Bigotry"

The US State Department condemned the "horrific" lynching of a Hindu man in Bangladesh, while Congressman Ro Khanna urged unequivocal condemnation of religious hatred.

The strong remarks came over a week after 29-year-old garment worker Dipu Chandra Das was attacked by a mob, lynched and his body set on fire over blasphemy allegations in Mymensingh on December 18.

A US State Department spokesperson told IANS, "The United States unequivocally condemns religious violence in all its forms, and we welcome measures the Bangladeshi Interim Government is taking to ensure the safety and security for all communities in Bangladesh." The spokesperson added that the US supports "religious freedom and freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association".

Khanna urged that voices must be raised againt "these vile acts of hatred and bigotry".

A week after Das's killing, 29-year-old Amrit Mondal, alias Samrat, was killed by a group of locals in Bangladesh's Rajbari district. The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh condemned the killing but claimed there was not a communal angle to the violence.

Incidents of religious persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, especially Hindus, have invited criticism and protests across the world. Members of the Bengali Hindu Adarsha Sangha (BHAS) UK organised a "Justice for Hindus" protest outside the Bangladeshi High Commission in London on Saturday, demanding international action against such incidents. The protesters condemned the "unethical arrest of interfaith voice Chinmaya Prabhu and public lynching of Dipu Das by Islamic extremists".

Several protests were organised in major cities of Nepal - including Birgunj, Janakpurdham, and Golbazar - on Friday and Saturday. Angry protesters briefly blocked the East-West Highway, enforcing a temporary chakka jam (road blockade). Protesters raised slogans such as "Stop the killing of Hindus", "Ensure the security of minorities", and "Respect human rights".

In India, protests were witnessed from Delhi to Kolkata to Bhopal to Hyderabad, with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal gathering in large numbers outside the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi and other missions in Bengal and other states last week.

Amid a worldwide chorus on the matter, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called the "unremitting hostility against minorities" a matter of grave concern but dismissed a strain in ties. "India stands for strengthening our ties with the people of Bangladesh. We favour peace and stability in Bangladesh. And we stand for free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in Bangladesh," the ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.