Bangladesh govt to take responsibility of slain Hindu worker's family: Adviser

Bangladesh interim government's senior adviser has said that the state will take responsibility of the family of the Hindu worker who was lynched on blasphemy charges last week.

Education adviser C R Abrar on Tuesday met the bereaved family of 25-year-old Dipu Das, who was killed by a mob and his body set on fire on December 18 in Mymensingh.

“The state has taken the responsibilities of taking care of Dipu Das’ child, wife and parents,” Abrar said, calling the killing of the garment factory worker a “brutal crime which has no excuse”.

Abrar said ahead of meeting the family, he held talks with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who asked him to convey to them the government’s “profound sorrow and deepest condolences”.

According to newspaper reports, Das’ father Rabi Chandra Das demanded justice for his son’s killing, describing the condition of the family to the adviser. Yunus’s office, meanwhile, reconfirmed that financial and welfare assistance would be provided to Das’ family, and relevant authorities would remain in close contact with them in the coming period.

Twelve people have been held so far for their alleged involvement in the murder. Yunus’ press wing in a statement on Tuesday said, “allegations, rumours or differences of belief can never excuse violence, and no individual has the right to take the law into their own hands”.

“The government reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the rule of law, noting that the authority to investigate alleged offences and ensure justice through due process rests solely with the state,” it said.

Das’ killing sparked widespread protests by factory workers, students and rights groups in Dhaka and elsewhere in Bangladesh, while India expressed its concerns as well.

The mob attack coincided with the death of a radical right-wing cultural group Inqilab Mancha leader Sharif Osman Hadi at a Singapore hospital six days after he was shot by masked gunmen in Dhaka. Hadi was a prominent face in the anti-government protests last year that toppled Sheikh Hasina's government.

Following his death, Bangladesh witnessed a fresh wave of unrest, with a mob setting alight the offices of the mass circulation Daily Star and Prothom Alo and two leading cultural groups, Chhayanot and the Udichi Shilpi Goshti, which were founded in the 1960s.