A murder accused was beaten to death in what police described as a “revenge attack” in Durgapur upazila of Rajshahi on Sunday.
The victim, Wazed Ali, an accused in the killing of Hasibur, was assaulted around 11:00am in Hoja Anantakandi village under Maria union. He succumbed to his injuries around noon while being taken to hospital.
According to police and eyewitnesses, several accused in the Hasibur murder case had recently been released on bail and were living in hiding out of fear of attacks. Wazed had also been avoiding public appearances but had returned to the area in recent days.
On Sunday morning, Wazed and his son Masum went to work at their betel leaf plantation when relatives of Hasibur launched a mob attack. The attackers allegedly broke Wazed’s hands and legs and attempted to bury him alive. His wife, Laily Begum, 50, and son Masum, 30, were also injured while trying to save him.
Masum said at least 10–12 people, including Ekramul, Latif, Khademul, Faisal, Roni, Faruk and Korban, attacked them over previous enmity. “They tried to bury my father thinking he was dead. My mother and I screamed for help, and then locals rushed in, prompting the attackers to flee,” he said.
Laily Begum said they had been staying at a relative’s house since their release on bail due to threats from rivals. “When we went to the betel plantation, they attacked us with sharp weapons in a planned way,” she alleged.
On May 14, Hasibur was beaten and hacked to death over a land dispute, leading to a case against 18 people, including Wazed Ali.
Duragpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Rafiqul Islam said three people were injured in the latest attack stemming from the earlier murder case, and Wazed later died. “A drive is underway to arrest those involved,” he added.
