A 65-year-old man was brutally hacked to death by miscreants in Pekua Upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Friday night after he protested the harassment of his daughter-in-law.
The incident, which significantly alarmed residents in the area, occurred around 9:30pm in the Harun Matbarpara area of Ward No 2, Magnama Union.
The deceased was identified as Abu Taher.
According to the victim’s relatives, Mohammad Sifat, son of Nurul Hossain from the same area, had been subjecting Taher’s daughter-in-law to “indecent proposals” for a prolonged period.
This ongoing harassment had led to a long-standing dispute and heightened tension between the two families.
On the night of the incident, Sifat and several other youths reportedly gathered in front of Abu Taher’s residence, where they began throwing stones and behaving indecently to lure him out.
When Taher stepped outside to protest their conduct, the group attacked him, hacking him indiscriminately with sharp weapons, before fleeing the scene.
Family members rescued the critically injured Taher and rushed him to the Pekua Upazila Health Complex, where the attending physician declared him dead.
The relatives of the deceased have alleged that the murder was premeditated and have demanded immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved.
Following the news of the murder, a sense of panic and tension gripped the locality. Upon being informed, police visited the scene that night to assess the situation.
Pekua Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Mehedi Hasan confirmed that a police team visited the spot and recovered the blood-stained body.
He said while initial information suggests the killing was the result of a “previous dispute,” the exact motive will be confirmed following a thorough investigation.
The OC added that the body has been sent to the Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy.
