A police sub-inspector was beaten to death after a group of people chased him into a factory in Savar’s Aminbazar area on Saturday night. His teenage son was also seriously injured in the attack.
The victim was identified as Md Altaf Hossain, an SI of the Special Branch (SB) of police. He worked at the SB office in Dhaka’s Malibagh but lived in Savar.
Police have arrested one person in connection with the killing.
The attack began in front of an auto-rickshaw garage beside Altaf’s family-owned small garment factory in the Bardeshi area. Several people were assaulting elderly garage owner Abul Kalam when Altaf intervened and tried to stop them.
The attackers then turned on him.
As the situation worsened, Altaf identified himself as a police officer and ran to the nearby garment factory for safety. His 16-year-old son, Md Ariful Islam, was working there at the time.
But the attackers followed him.
A group of 20 to 25 people entered the factory and launched a fresh attack, beating Altaf with sticks until he lost consciousness. Ariful was also seriously injured.
Locals later rescued them and took them to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared Altaf dead. Ariful remains under treatment.
Altaf’s village home was in Rupnai Sadhupura under Enayetpur Police Station in Sirajganj. He lived with his wife and children in Savar’s Bardeshi Madina City area.
According to police and locals, the incident began after a car hit a rickshaw in front of the garage. A dispute then broke out between the car passengers and auto-rickshaw drivers over parking.
Eyewitnesses said the initial argument involving a few people later escalated after 20 to 25 people gathered and turned it into a group attack.
Dhaka District Superintendent of Police Shamima Parveen, however, declined to describe the incident as a mob attack.
“We, the police, always say that anyone who witnesses a crime should protest. Based on what we have learned so far, some unruly youths from the area behaved badly with the owner of an auto-rickshaw garage, an elderly man, and were assaulting him,” she said.
She said Altaf was on his way to a mosque for prayers when the incident occurred.
“Whether on duty or off duty, a police officer has a responsibility to take action if a crime occurs in front of him and bring the offenders under the law. Driven by that responsibility, Altaf protested against the assault and stepped forward to protect the elderly man,” she said.
Police said efforts were under way to identify all those involved and bring them to justice.
Altaf’s wife, Shyuli Begum, filed a case with Savar Model Police Station, naming 15 people and accusing another 20 unidentified individuals, said Officer-in-Charge Md Saiful Alam.
He told TIMES that the main accused, Jahirul Islam, had been arrested.
Jahirul was arrested from the Bardeshi area around 4:30am on Sunday in a joint operation by the Aminbazar Tannery Police Camp and Savar Model Police Station. He is a resident of the area.
