Police in Chattogram have concluded that the recovery of a young man’s hanging body from the Sagarika flyover was an act of suicide.
Following an analysis of CCTV footage, the post-mortem report, and various pieces of evidence, investigation officers pointed out that the incident was not a homicide. Despite this, mystery still surrounds the event due to conflicting claims on social media, confusion regarding political identity, and the silence of the family.
The deceased, identified as Kawsar Hamid alias Abu Kawsar, was a resident of the West Feroz Shah area and worked as a part-time guard at the BSRM factory. His ancestral home is in the Urkirchar area of Raozan Upazila.
Investigation and evidence Police stated that Kawsar’s hanging body was recovered from under the flyover in the Sagarika area of Pahartali Police Station at approximately 3am on Monday.
Immediately following the incident, posts circulated on social media claiming he was the “Liberation War Affairs Secretary” of the Akbar Shah Thana unit of the banned Chhatra League. Some posts alleged it was a planned murder; however, police said no evidence was found to support these claims.
According to investigators, CCTV footage from the scene shows Kawsar ascending the flyover alone at 1:16am. He was later seen positioned near the railing, and after some time, he tied a rope and hung himself.
No presence of others, signs of a scuffle, or evidence of him being forcibly dragged were found during the entire sequence.
Pahartali Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Muhammad Nurul Absar said an analysis of the evidence at the scene, the marks on the neck, the position of the body, and the structure of the flyover yielded no proof of murder.
While family members termed the death “unusual,” they have not filed any murder case. Police alleged that the family initially attempted to take the body away quickly without a post-mortem, though the procedure was eventually completed at the request of the police.
Investigators added that the nature of the ligature marks on the neck and the situational evidence are consistent with suicide, with no indications of third-party involvement so far.
Political identity confusion
There has been significant confusion regarding Kawsar’s political affiliation. While social media identified him as a Chhatra League activist, police clarified that this confusion arose due to another individual sharing the same name.
Alamgir Hossain, Deputy Commissioner of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police, stated, “We have found no information regarding the deceased Kawsar’s active political involvement. The Chhatra League leader being mentioned is a different person.”
However, some local residents claimed Kawsar was once involved in Chhatra League politics but had distanced himself from it even before 5 August 2024. Shahid Parvez, a local shopkeeper, noted that while Kawsar previously engaged in politics, he had been inactive for a long time and moved about the area normally.
Legal and personal background
According to police and local sources, there were six cases against Kawsar, including allegations of extortion and robbery, all filed before 5 August of last year. The last case was filed in late 2023, with no new cases recorded since.
Local sources suggested Kawsar had been mentally distressed over the past two years due to a decrease in income.
Neighbours also reported domestic issues, specifically a deteriorating relationship with his elder brother, although no major conflicts had been recorded in the area.
Investigators are currently looking into family discord, financial pressure, and personal frustration as potential factors that may have led Kawsar to take his own life. Locals observed that he had recently appeared quiet and preoccupied.
Kawsar’s body was handed over to his family on Wednesday following the post-mortem. He was buried in the West Feroz Shah area that evening following a funeral prayer.
His residence was found locked on Wednesday morning, and neighbours reported that his mother and two brothers left for their village in Raozan immediately after the burial.
Meanwhile, police expressed concern over the spread of unverified information on social media, claiming that pages associated with banned organisations are attempting to create confusion by spreading rumours.
Deputy Commissioner Alamgir Hossain confirmed that an unnatural death case has been filed, and preliminary investigations—including CCTV and forensic evidence—confirm the death was a suicide.
