Police have recovered the body of a 17-year-old boy from the Turag River near Ashulia, as unverified claims circulating widely on social media linked his death to a rally marking the Awami League’s founding anniversary on 23 June.
The deceased, identified as Sumon, was recovered from the Turag River near Ashulia Bazar on Thursday night. While police state the teenager died after falling from a trawler during a picnic, his death has become the subject of intense speculation online.
Hundreds of posts shared on Facebook claim that Sumon was a member of the Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Ward No 53 unit under Turag Police Station. According to those posts, he and several others were chased and thrown into the river because they had attended an Awami League procession on 22 June.
The same posts also claim that the bodies of Biplob, described as a Jubo League activist from the same ward, and Ariful, identified as a Turag Thana Chhatra League leader, have also been recovered. However, police in both Ashulia and Turag said they could not confirm those claims.
An unnatural death case has been filed with Ashulia Police Station over Sumon’s death. Investigating Officer Mominul said the body was recovered near the Ashulia cattle market. Sumon was a resident of Ranabhola village under Turag Police Station; his parents are Shah Alam and Amala Begum.
Meanwhile, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Naval Police’s Aminbazar Police Station Humayun Kabir told TIMES of Bangladesh on Saturday evening that Ariful’s body was recovered from the confluence of the Turag and Buriganga rivers on the morning of 24 June.
His father, Abdul Hai, has filed an unnatural death case in this incident. The case statement mentioned that Ariful died after falling accidentally while on a boat trip.
Abdul Hai told TIMES, “My son was quite active in Chhatra League politics and had been missing since 22 June. After the naval police recovered the body and completed the autopsy, it was handed over to us, and we completed his burial.”
Ariful’s uncle, Asadul Islam, also confirmed that Ariful regularly participated in various Chhatra League programmes.
According to Ashulia police, Sumon had set out on Thursday with friends on a trawler for a picnic. Police said he fell into the river while hurriedly getting off the vessel and drowned. His body was later spotted by local fishermen, who informed the police.
Officers recovered the body and found a mobile phone in his possession; although the handset was no longer functioning, he was identified through the SIM card.
Sumon’s brother, Salauddin, later filed the unnatural death case. The family declined to comment to the press regarding the circumstances surrounding his death.
Speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh shortly after midnight on Friday, Ashulia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Tarikul Islam said Sumon’s family had told police that the teenager worked at a local warehouse and had drowned during the picnic.
“The family said he did not know how to swim and died after falling into the river,” the officer said.
He added that the family had not informed police that Sumon was involved in politics or had attended any political procession. The body was handed over to the family following a post-mortem examination.
