By Nilanjana Sarkar
A disturbing surge of mob violence has swept through Bangladesh, claiming the life of Dipu Chandra Das, a 25-year-old Hindu garment worker, who was lynched over false allegations of sacrilege. As outrage simmers in India, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has sounded a critical alarm, pressing the fragile state of the republic in the neighboring nation.
“The Administrative Standing Committee studied this in some detail,” Tharoor said, delivering the Indian government’s formative approach post-Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, while prompting support for forces working toward an inclusive republic. Though India can not intrude in Bangladesh’s internal affairs, Tharoor stresses that as a nation vital to Bangladesh’s history, New Delhi must diplomatically convince Dhaka to check this chaos. “We can clearly exercise our influence to convert the Yunus government to take a formative way,” he told the Indian Express.
Describing the situation as a dangerous “mobocracy,” Tharoor blamed the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus for inadequate action against lawless elements, including Islamist groups, and released culprits running frantically. “It isn’t enough to wring hands and condemn exemplary discipline is demanded,” he advised, linking the uneasiness to pitfalls against free choices and indigenous stability. Seven suspects have been arrested, but enterprises loiter as seditious rhetoric targeting India shells.
The lynching, sparked by an unverified plant disagreement, underscores growing dogmatism. “A poor Hindu was killed on an unwarranted blameworthiness. This can not augur well,” Tharoor lamented, calling for firm measures to restore order. With Bangladesh’s future hanging in the balance, and India’s own security interests tied to peace in the east, the timepiece ticks for dialogue and de-escalation.