In a crucial development that underscores the importance of swift and impartial law enforcement in combating mob violence, the Detective Branch (DB) of Mymensingh District Police arrested another key suspect, Md. Bablu Mia, late on Sunday night in connection with the horrific lynching and burning of garment worker Dipu Chandra Das on December 18, 2025.
Bablu Mia, 24, son of Md. Saiful Islam from Dubaliapara area in Bhaluka Upazila, was arrested around 11pm in his home locality. Police utilised CCTV footage analysis and technology-assisted identification to track and locate him. Preliminary investigations reveal that Bablu played a pivotal role in mobilising the Touhidi Janata at the factory gate of Pioneer Knitwears (BD) Limited.
He incited the mob by gathering people and spreading false allegations of blasphemy. He also chanted slogans to heighten tensions and actively participated in beating Dipu at the gate before assisting in dragging the half-dead victim to the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, where the enraged crowd continued the assault.
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This arrest brings the total number of detainees in the case to 23, with 11 already providing confessional statements in court. Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration) Md. Abdullah Al Mamun confirmed that Bablu will be produced before the court on Monday. Operations continue to apprehend the remaining fugitives.
The Gruesome Incident
On the night of December 18, 2025, in Dubaliapara, Bhaluka Upazila, Dipu Chandra Dasโa junior quality inspector at Pioneer Knitwearsโwas accused of making derogatory remarks about Islam during a workplace conversation. The allegation, which investigations (including by the Rapid Action Battalion) later found lacked clear evidence and appeared rooted in workplace disputes or rumours, rapidly escalated into mob fury.
Factory CCTV captured outsiders attempting to break the gate around 8:30pm, after which Dipu was forcibly removed. He was beaten severely at the gate, dragged about one kilometre to the highway’s median near Square Masterbari bus stand, stripped, tied to a tree, and set ablaze before a large crowd. Dipu’s brother, Apu Chandra Das, filed a case naming 140โ150 unidentified individuals.
Witnesses described chaos: locals saw crowds gathering from a mosque and nearby areas, chanting slogans. Factory management claimed they tried to calm the situation internally, obtained a fake resignation from Dipu for his safety, alerted police, and intended to release him once tensions easedโbut the mob breached the pocket gate and took him. Police arrived after the crowd had swelled to thousands, hampered by traffic, and criticised the factory for not informing them sooner.
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The brutality shocked Bangladesh and drew international condemnation, reviving concerns over minority safety, mob violence, and the misuse of blasphemy allegations to incite attacks under the Jamaat-controlled interim government. Dipu, a Hindu from Tarakanada Upazila’s Mokamiyakanda village, was the sole breadwinner for his family, including his wife and young daughter.
The ongoing arrests highlight the critical role of determined police investigation in restoring faith in the justice system amid a climate of post-2024 political transition and reported communal tensions.
This progress is vital for victims’ familiesโlike Dipu’s grieving relativesโwho deserve closure, compensation (the government provided Tk2.5 million in savings certificates), and assurance that the state prioritises due process over mobocracy. It reinforces that no allegation, however inflammatory, justifies extrajudicial violence and that the rule of law must prevail to protect all citizens, prevent recurrence, and heal societal divisions.
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