Amnesty International Condemns Bangladesh Violence, Lynching Of Hindu Man; Calls For Probe

Last Updated:December 20, 2025, 11:24 IST

Bangladesh witnessed unprecedented mob violence when protesters attacked media houses and Indian diplomatic offices after the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

Prominent media houses in Bangladesh were vandalised amid violent protests. (AFP)

As Bangladesh grapples with unprecedented violent protests, Amnesty International has condemned the lynching of a Hindu man and mob violence, while calling on the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus to ensure an immediate and independent investigation into the killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi and the subsequent mob violence.

Hadi, the leader of Inquilab Mancha, was a student leader who emerged from the student uprising that reshaped the country’s political landscape last year and ousted ex-PM Sheikh Hasina from office. He died after being shot in the head in Dhaka last week, triggering nationwide protests and mob violence. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES HERE

Media houses and cultural centres were vandalised and set ablaze while Indian diplomatic offices also came under attack as thousands of people in Dhaka took to the streets in the wake of Hadi’s death in the worst bout of violence in Bangladesh as it gears up for national elections in February 2026. A Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched and burnt to death in Mymensingh over alleged blasphemy.

“Amnesty International calls on the interim government of Bangladesh to ensure prompt, thorough, independent, and impartial investigations into the killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, and the subsequent mob violence which led to the burning of the offices Prothom Alo and Daily Star and Chhayanaut, and the harassment of New Age editor, Nurul Kabir," the organisation said in a statement.

“Furthermore, we are alarmed by the lynching of Hindu garment worker Dipu Chandra Das following allegations of blasphemy. Amnesty International condemns the mob violence which has resulted in injuries, destruction of property, and even death," it added.

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Dipu Chandra Das, a factory worker, was attacked by a mob in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district on Thursday night. It has been learnt that the mob, after killing Das, hung his body from a tree and set it on fire.

Amnesty International also called on the interim government to take immediate steps to hold perpetrators of acts of violence and killings accountable in a fair trial without recourse to the death penalty.

‘Failure Of Interim Govt’

As an angry mob attacked media houses in Bangladesh, several journalists were trapped in the buildings. The latest violence has rattled the interim government, which has faced criticism for failing to restore order since taking office last year.

“This is a reflection of the interim government’s failure to control the rise of mobocracy," Asif Shahan, a professor at the University of Dhaka, told Reuters. “The monster has been unleashed and the key challenge for the next government is to tame this leviathan."

Meanwhile, the interim government urged all citizens to exercise restraint and resist all forms of mob violence, blaming the unrest on a “few fringe elements."

“We strongly and unequivocally condemn all acts of violence, intimidation, arson, and destruction of properties. This is a critical moment in our nation’s history when we are making a historic democratic transition. We cannot and must not allow it to be derailed by those few who thrive on chaos and reject peace," said the government in a statement.

The Bangladesh interim government also apologised to the journalists of Prothom Alo, The Daily Star and New Age, and condemned the lynching of the Hindu man over allegations of blasphemy. “There is no space for such violence in new Bangladesh. The perpetrators of this heinous crime will not be spared," it said.

Chief Adviser Yunus on Friday condemned mob violence by fringe elements, calling on citizens to resist violence, hatred and incitement at a critical moment of democratic transition.

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