Ex-madrasa teacher arrested as main accused in Dipu Chandra Das lynching

New Delhi: Police in Bangladesh on Wednesday arrested Yasin Arafat, a former madrasa teacher and imam, for his alleged role in the killing of Hindu worker Dipu Chandra Das, local media reported.

Yasin was detained from Sarulia under the Demra police station area with help from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. He is the prime accused in the case and had been absconding since the incident.

Investigators allege that Yasin, 25, led a mob that attacked Dipu at the gate of a factory in Mymensingh district. Police sources say he played a central role in dragging Dipu’s body to the Square Masterbari area, where it was set on fire.

Yasin, the son of Gazi Mia and a resident of South Hobirbari in Valuka, had reportedly been serving as an imam at the Shekhabari mosque and had taught at a madrasa for around 18 months prior to the incident.

After the killing on December 18, Yasin allegedly went into hiding for nearly 12 days, frequently changing locations. During this period, he reportedly stayed at several madrasas in Dhaka and even secured a teaching position at Suffa Madrasa using a false identity, according to local reports.

Police said a total of 21 people have been arrested so far in connection with the case. Of these, nine have given confessional statements before a court.

The murder took place amid a broader wave of unrest in Bangladesh, which erupted after the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a 32-year-old student leader associated with the August 2024 uprising that eventually led to the exit of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

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Hadi’s death sparked widespread protests and mob violence, during which several minority communities were targeted. Dipu Chandra Das was killed the same day after a mob accused him of blasphemy, police said.

Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and further arrests are likely.