DB arrests prime suspect in killing, burning of Dipu Chandra Das

Detective Branch (DB) police have arrested Md Yasin Arafat, 25, from the Sarulia area under Demra Police Station in Dhaka, for leading the killing and subsequent burning of the body of Dipu Chandra Das, 28, a worker at Pioneer Knitwear BD Ltd in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, yesterday afternoon (7 January).

The arrest was confirmed today (8 January) by Mantosh Bishwas, additional superintendent of police of the Gafargaon Circle (Bhaluka). The arrest was made with the assistance of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

Investigators said Yasin led the attack by gathering people through slogans at the factory gate, physically assaulting Dipu Chandra Das to death, and later dragging the body with a rope, hanging it from a tree, and setting it on fire.

After the murder on 18 December, Yasin went into hiding and remained absconding for 12 days. During this period, he stayed at various madrasas in the Sarulia area of Dhaka. Preliminary investigations indicate that, in an attempt to evade arrest, he also joined Suffa Madrasa as a teacher.

Yasin is the son of Gazi Mia from the South Habirbari area near Karaitola Mor in Bhaluka. For the past 18 months, he had been serving as the imam of Sheikhbari Mosque in the Kashar area and working as a teacher at Madina Tahfizul Quran Madrasa.

So far, 21 people have been arrested in connection with the incident. Of them, nine have given confessional statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, while three witnesses have testified before the court. In addition, 18 accused have already been sent to jail through the court after completing their remand periods.