Days after the brutal mob lynching of Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh, another Hindu youth has been beaten to death in the country. A 29-year-old man identified as Amrit Mandal, also known as Samrat, was lynched by a mob in Bangladesh’s Rajbari district late on Wednesday night, amid allegations of attempted extortion. The incident occurred in the old market area of Hosendanga village in Pangsha Upazila around 11 PM, according to local police reports.
According to Officer-in-Charge Sheikh Mainul Islam of Pangsha Police Station, Mandal and his associates allegedly demanded money from a local resident’s home. When refused, they went to the house on Wednesday. The owner of the house was not present, and they allegedly assaulted the homeowner’s son. Seeing this, neighbours raised an alarm, shouting ‘robber, robber’. This prompted locals to gather and attack Mandal. He died at the scene from the beating.
His accomplices fled, but one associate, Selim Sheikh, was caught by the crowd carrying two firearms, a pistol and a single-shooter gun, and was handed over to the police.
Amrit Mandal, son of Akshoy Mandal and a resident of the same village, has been described by police as the leader of a local criminal gang referred to as “Samrat Bahini.” Police records indicate he had multiple cases filed against him, including murder, and had been involved in activities such as extortion and terrorism in the area. He had reportedly fled to India during the previous Awami League government but returned recently.
Police recovered Mandal from the scene and sent him to the hospital, where he was declared dead, after which his body was sent for post-mortem examination. Selim Sheikh has been arrested, and authorities are preparing to file cases related to the incident, including charges against those involved in the mob violence.
The killing comes amid heightened concerns over minority safety in Bangladesh, and it comes just days after the December 19 lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh over blasphemy allegations. However, as Amrit Mandal’s lynching is reportedly linked to an alleged extortion attempt, and there is no religious angle, as per the police.