Police rescued Wahiduzzaman Shamim after he was attacked over allegations of religious blasphemy in Satkhira’s Debhata upazila. But even after taking him to hospital, they failed to protect him from a mob that eventually beat him to death.
Shamim was assaulted again on Tuesday evening before police rescued him and admitted him to the upazila health complex. Later that night, more than 300 people stormed the hospital and attacked him while he was undergoing treatment.
The killing inside a government hospital has raised serious questions about the police response and the state’s failure to protect a citizen, triggering widespread anger and criticism.
Shamim’s death has left his seven-month-old son Arham and eight-year-old daughter Ayami facing an uncertain future. His family, meanwhile, remains gripped by fear of further attacks and threats.
Although Shamim was buried under heavy police protection on Wednesday night, no case had been filed as of Thursday night, when this report was written.
The failure to protect him while he was alive has also raised questions about whether the authorities can now guarantee his family’s safety.
At the family’s home in Barashanta village of Parulia union in Debhata, grief is compounded by insecurity. Relatives are struggling to come to terms with Shamim’s death while worrying about the children’s future and the possibility of further violence.
The family claims Shamim had been suffering from mental illness. They maintain that the allegations of blasphemy and an audio recording circulated online could have been investigated, but no one had the right to beat him to death.
How did the hospital attack happen?
According to family members and local sources, tensions escalated after an audio recording allegedly containing derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Islam circulated on social media.
On Monday evening, a group allegedly led by Fazlul Haque Amini attacked and vandalised Shamim’s home before beating him and taking him to Subarnabad Bazar.
Local residents said Shamim eventually escaped, returned home and consumed poison. Later that night, he received treatment at the chamber of Dr MA Sabur in Kuliya.
On Tuesday evening, he came under attack again. Police rescued him and admitted him to Sakhipur Upazila Health Complex.
At around 10pm, more than 300 people under the banner of Touhidi Janata broke through the hospital’s rear entrance and stormed the premises.
The attackers slammed Shamim to the ground and beat him indiscriminately while he was receiving treatment.
He was subsequently taken to Satkhira Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The attack has left critical questions unanswered: How could a mob enter a government hospital and kill a patient whom police had already rescued? Why was adequate security not provided despite the threat of further violence?
Some people have claimed that an individual named Shamim, who allegedly led the attack, was a Jamaat supporter, while others have described him as a follower of the Qawmi tradition. These claims remain unverified.
Police have declined to explain who was responsible for hospital security, why protection was inadequate or what officers did as the mob stormed the facility.
Fear persists even during burial
Security concerns continued even after Shamim’s death.
His brother, Tahsib Rahman Sagar, said police objections prevented the family from taking the body home from the hospital morgue on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Sagar, police warned the family that they could face obstruction while digging the grave, holding funeral prayers or conducting the burial.
The family eventually received the body from Debhata Police Station at around 8:15pm.
Under tight security provided by police and Detective Branch (DB) personnel, funeral prayers were held at around 9pm. Shamim was buried in the family graveyard at approximately 9:30pm.
Sagar said the family would file a case and seek justice, particularly for the sake of Shamim’s two young children, Arham and Ayami.
Debhata Police Station Officer-in-Charge SM Shaheen said the situation had returned to normal following the burial and preparations were under way to file a case.
However, he did not answer questions about why police had failed to ensure Shamim’s safety.
The family reiterated that Shamim had been suffering from mental illness and that the allegations against him, including the circulated audio recording, could have been investigated through legal channels.
Instead, he was beaten to death inside a hospital where he had been taken for protection and treatment.
For the two children left without a father, the consequences will extend far beyond the violence of that night.
Their family is now demanding not only justice for Shamim’s killing but also protection from further threats.
And one question remains unanswered: If the authorities could not protect Shamim inside a government hospital, how will they ensure the safety of the family he has left behind?
