A Muslim cleric from Assam’s Darrang district has been arrested for allegedly supporting the brutal lynching of a Hindu youth in neighbouring Bangladesh, police said. The arrested individual has been identified as Bilal Ali, a Hafiz, who was taken into custody for allegedly endorsing the killing of Dipu Chandra Das on social media. Das was lynched by a mob in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district last Thursday night, triggering widespread outrage in India and abroad.
Police said Bilal Ali had earlier served as the imam of a mosque in Borjhar, Panbari. He is the second person to be arrested in Assam in connection with online posts allegedly supporting the killing. Earlier, Rangia Police had detained another individual, Mohd. Sheikh Akhtar Ali, a resident of Ward No. 3 of Rangia town, for posting a video in support of the lynching. According to the police, the video, shared on Facebook and Instagram accounts named “Bollo Chaiwala”, showed graphic visuals of Das being assaulted by the mob, tied to a tree and set on fire. Investigators said the accused was seen scrolling through his mobile phone in the video, with facial expressions allegedly indicating approval of the violence.
After the video came to the notice of the authorities, a police team from Rangia Police Station took the accused into custody. Dipu Chandra Das, who worked at a garment factory in Bangladesh, lived as a tenant in the Dubalia Para area of Bhaluka Upazila. He was reportedly stripped naked, beaten, hanged and later tied to a pole before the mob set his body on fire. The killing sparked widespread condemnation and renewed concerns over the safety of Hindus, a minority community in Bangladesh.
The interim government in Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus, condemned the lynching amid ongoing protests, stating that “there is no place for such violence in new Bangladesh.” However, critics have alleged that concrete measures to ensure the security of minorities remain inadequate.
Following the incident, Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested seven suspects. According to a statement posted by Yunus on social media platform X, the arrested individuals include Md Limon Sarkar (19), Md Tarek Hossain, Md Manik Mia (20), Ershad Ali (39), Nipun Uddin (20), Alongir Hossain (38) and Md Miraj Hossain Akon (46). RAB said raids were conducted at multiple locations to apprehend those involved. The lynching has sparked protests across India and drawn sharp international criticism, with demands for stronger action to protect minority communities and hold perpetrators accountable.
