Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, will on Friday lead a six-member delegation to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, seeking accountability over the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment factory worker, and raising concerns over continued attacks on minorities during the tenure of Muhammad Yunus’ caretaker government.
Significantly, no senior West Bengal leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be part of the delegation. Apart from Adhikari, the remaining five members will be representatives from the Hindu saint community. The LoP confirmed that the visit has been scheduled for the second half of Friday.
Days after Dipu Das’s lynching, another Hindu man beaten to death in Bangladesh
Delegation to include Hindu saint representatives
The five saint representatives accompanying Adhikari will be Sanjay Hela, Mahakal Giri, Sanjay Shastri, Sarbananda Abadhut, and Krishna Mataji.
Earlier this week, Adhikari had led a protest outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata over the killing. On that occasion, the delegation was denied entry. Addressing supporters at the demonstration site, the LoP had announced that he would return with a formal delegation on Friday and warned of renewed protests if access was again denied.
That uncertainty has since been resolved, with Adhikari confirming that an official appointment has now been fixed. The delegation is expected to submit its memorandum during the scheduled meeting later in the day.
Questions over action taken by Yunus government
According to Adhikari, the delegation will seek detailed clarification from the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission on the steps taken by the Yunus-led caretaker administration following the killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh.
The killing has triggered nationwide outrage in India. Protests erupted across multiple cities earlier this week, with demonstrations reported from Delhi, Bhopal, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, as Hindu organisations took to the streets condemning what they described as targeted violence against minorities in Bangladesh.
Lynching sparked by blasphemy allegation
Das, a 25-year-old Hindu worker employed at a garment factory in Bangladesh, was allegedly accused of blasphemy by a co-worker. Following the accusation, a mob reportedly stormed the factory, dragged him out onto the streets, assaulted him brutally and later set his body on fire after tying it to a tree.
The incident has drawn sharp reactions across India, intensifying scrutiny of minority safety in the neighbouring country under the current caretaker regime.
Bangladesh education adviser visits Dipu Chandra Das’s family, assures financial assistance