“Blasphemy” as a Weapon: The Lynching and Burning of Dipu Chandra Das Is a National Shame

What Really Happened to Dipu?

Dipu worked at Pioneer Knitwears (BD) Limited. He wasn’t some outsider. He was part of the factory, part of the production machine that keeps this country’s economy running. Recently, he sat for a recruitment exam for a promotion from floor manager to supervisor. That alone made him a target.

According to his family:

• Dipu had ongoing disputes with colleagues over his position.
• On the afternoon of December 18, he was fired from his job.
• Shortly after, a deadly narrative appears:
  “He insulted religion.”

From there, everything escalated with terrifying speed.

He was:

• Beaten inside the factory and thrown out.
• Caught again, assaulted, and even after apologizing, they did not spare him.
• Dragged out onto the main road, beaten to death by a mob, his lifeless body tied to a tree and burned.

A video of this horror has flooded social media – a mob of hundreds exiting the factory, Dipu being dragged, beaten, and then burned.

This is not justice. This is collective barbarism.

The Blasphemy Lie

The most chilling part?

Police and RAB have found no evidence that Dipu insulted religion at all.

• Mymensingh Additional SP Abdullah Al Mamun has said allegations of blasphemy are only word of mouth – nothing proven, nothing verified.
• Bhaluka OC Mohammad Jahidul Islam has admitted there is no evidence Dipu insulted religion.
• RAB Company Commander Md Shamsuzzaman said:
  
  • No one present at the scene could confirm hearing Dipu say anything offensive.
  • No social media post, no traceable content – nothing.

So, what do we have?

We have:

• A workplace conflict.
• Long-standing disputes over production targets, overtime, working conditions, and benefits, as confirmed by local Ward No 5 member Tofazzel Hossain.
• A gradually built conspiracy to remove Dipu from the factory.

And then we have the deadliest weapon in this country’s arsenal:

Accuse someone of “insulting religion” – and let the mob finish the job.

That’s exactly what happened.

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Mob Justice = State Failure

We must say this clearly:
Every time a mob kills in the name of “religion”, it is not just the mob that is guilty. It is the system, the culture, and the silent majority that nurtures this mentality.

What enabled this lynching?

1. Weaponization of religious sentiment
   Accusations of “insulting religion” have become a convenient blunt instrument:

   • To settle workplace disputes
   • To target minorities
   • To destroy rivals
   • To erase inconvenient people

   In Dipu’s case, it looks like a factory power struggle dressed up as religious outrage.

2. Culture of impunity
   This is not the first time we’ve seen lynching justified by vague allegations.
   And people behave like this because they believe:

   • The mob will not be punished.
   • “Religious anger” will be treated softly by the system.
   • Someone will always say: “He must have done something.”

3. Dehumanization of workers and minorities
   Dipu was a garment worker and from a religious minority community. In this country, that often means:

   • You are more disposable.
   • Your life is easier to erase.
   • Your death is easier to justify.

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“New Bangladesh” with Old Violence?

The interim government has condemned the killing, saying:

“There is no place for such violence in the new Bangladesh. None of those involved in this brutal crime will be spared.”

Strong words. But we have heard strong words before.

• So far, 12 people have been arrested.
• A murder case has been filed against 150 unidentified people.
• Police and RAB say they are analyzing video footage and interrogating suspects.

This is necessary. But it is not enough.

If we stop at a few arrests, a few press briefings, a few headlines, and then move on – this crime will not be an exception; it will be a template. A manual for future lynchings.

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Blasphemy Hysteria: A Loaded Gun in Society’s Hands

Let’s be brutally honest:

As long as:

• A rumor of “insulting religion” can spread faster than facts,
• Ordinary people feel entitled to become judge, jury, and executioner,
• Institutions hesitate to stand firmly against religiously charged mobs,

then no one in this country is safe.

Today it was Dipu. Tomorrow it could be:

• A co-worker,
• A neighbor,
• A stranger,
• Or you.

This isn’t just a crime against one man.
This is a crime against the idea of justice itself.

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Where Is Our Collective Conscience?

The video of Dipu’s murder is horrifying – but it is also a test.

• Did you feel anger?
• Did you feel shame?
• Did you feel fear?

If you watched that footage and thought, “Maybe he did something,” or “Mob rage is understandable when religion is involved,” then you are part of the problem.

A society that:

• Accepts rumor as evidence,
• Treats accusation as conviction,
• Allows mobs to compete with courts,

is a society that is rotting from within.

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What Must Happen Now

If this country wants to mean a single word of “new Bangladesh”, then Dipu’s lynching must become a turning point, not just another tragic case remembered for a week.

We must demand:

1. Full, transparent investigation

   • Every individual seen in the video must be identified.
   • Not just those who struck the blows, but also those who:
     
     • Tied the body,
     • Brought the fire,
     • Chanted and incited,
     • Filmed and encouraged.

2. Exemplary punishment

   • Life sentences or maximum legal punishment for the key perpetrators.
   • No political protection, no “mitigating circumstances” because of “religious emotion”.

3. Criminalization of false religious incitement

   • Those who fabricated or spread the false blasphemy allegation must be held directly responsible for murder.
   • Inciting lynching through fake or unverified religious claims should be treated as a grave criminal offense.

4. Workplace accountability

   • Investigate the factory management of Pioneer Knitwears:
     
     • Who fired Dipu?
     • Who was involved in conflicts with him?
     • Who allowed or ignored the escalation?
   • Factories must not become breeding grounds for conspiracies that end in mob murder.

5. Clear state policy on mob violence

   • Public, written, enforceable directives that:
     
     • No mob action will be tolerated.
     • Security forces must intervene firmly and immediately, even if the mob claims “religious anger”.

6. Social and educational reform

   • We urgently need campaigns, education, and open discussions against:
     
     • Lynch culture,
     • Fake religious outrage,
     • Criminal misuse of religious sentiment.

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Dipu Was Not Just a Name

Dipu Chandra Das was:

• A young man of 27,
• A garment worker,
• Someone trying to advance in his career,
• Someone with a family that loved him enough to fight for his dignity even after his burning.

He deserved:

• Due process,
• A chance to defend himself,
• Or at the very least, the right not to be tortured and burned in public.

Instead, he received a mob.

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This Is Our Line in the Sand

We must say it without fear:

• No belief system, no religious sentiment, no “holy anger” justifies lynching.
• Anyone who participates in or justifies such violence is not defending faith – they are betraying it.
• And a state that cannot protect a single worker from being burned alive on a highway is failing in its most basic duty.

If we don’t draw a hard line here, Dipu’s killing will be normalized.
His burning will fade into the endless scroll of news and videos.
And the mob will win.

We cannot allow that.

Justice for Dipu is not a slogan.
It is a test of what kind of country we are willing to be.

Science vs. Religion: Who’s Whose Godfather?

[A Light-Hearted Pseudo-Investigation]

By: A “Neutral” Observer (i.e., someone who gets beaten up by both sides)

A question perpetually plagues my mind: what is with all this fuss about the origin of everything? What is this fight between science and religion really about? I, a common person, have pondered this deeply (by which I mean, I conducted extensive research at the Facebook and WhatsApp University). And my conclusion is this – both sides are essentially telling the same story, just with a slightly different… style.

Let’s try to understand these things not in a heavy, scientific way, but with a light-hearted touch.

1. The Creation Story: “Big Bang” or “Big Ben”?

Science says it all started with a ‘Big Bang’—a massive, destructive explosion that created the universe. On the other hand, our religious scriptures describe a command from the Creator – a simple “Be!” – and everything came into existence.

Now, think about it! If a Creator is truly omnipotent, would He create things with a cheesy sound effect, like in a movie? I think He probably wanted to be a little dramatic. So, He chose the ‘Big Bang’ as His grand intro. The explosion that scientists are searching for proof of is merely the fireworks of the Creator’s “Creation Celebration”! Scientists are looking for the gunpowder residue, while the religious folks are saying, “See, we told you there would be fireworks!”

2. The Adam & Eve Story: A DNA Test Gone Wrong!

Science says we evolved over millions of years from an ape-like creature. Religion says God created Adam and Eve, and we are all their descendants.

Now, if science is true, our ancestors were swinging from trees. If religion is true, our ancestors couldn’t resist a forbidden apple in a garden. I’ll leave it to the reader to decide which is more embarrassing. However, I have a theory: Adam and Eve were actually the first human couple who learned to climb down from the trees and started walking upright. The clear description of ‘evolution’ in the Bible or the Quran is just too profound for us ordinary folks to understand!

3. The Miracles of the Prophets: A Special Permit to Break Physics

Science says no one can turn water into wine by touching it, a staff cannot part a sea, and dead people don’t come back to life. Religion says, “But it happened!”

The real issue here is that the prophets were the ‘superheroes’ of their era. The Creator gave them a special permit for ‘miracles’ so that common people would listen to them. If a prophet were to come today, he would probably turn water into Coca-Cola to go viral on WhatsApp, or live-stream parting a river with his staff on Twitter. The scientists would say, “This is impossible!” And we common people would say, “Bro, look what he’s doing for clout!”

4. Heaven & Hell: The Ultimate Reward and Punishment System

Science has many theories about the end of the universe—the ‘Big Freeze’, the ‘Big Crunch’, etc. Religion says there is a system of eternal Heaven and Hell.

The actual truth is, Heaven and Hell are the Cosmic Government’s ‘Ultimate Reward and Punishment System’. Do good deeds, you get points. Do bad deeds, points are deducted. Posting will be based on your final score. Scientists haven’t been able to crack the ‘code’ of this system yet, which is why they’re busy researching all the other theories.

Conclusion: Not Science vs. Religion, but Science and Religion

So, it turns out there is no inherent conflict between science and religion. The conflict lies in our limited knowledge and our excessive ego. Science is the quest for the ‘How’ – how something happened. Religion is the quest for the ‘Why’ – why something happened.

Science explains how a flower blooms, how its colours are formed. Religion asks if there is a grand Creator’s will behind this beauty.

So, the next time someone tries to use science to prove religion false, or uses religion to deny science, just tell them – “Bro, study both. You need to pass in both subjects. Otherwise, at the Grand Finale of Life, you’ll be left sitting there, listening to the story of the ‘Big Fail’!”