A woman was allegedly beaten to death by rivals in Muradnagar upazila, Cumilla on Thursday afternoon over a long-standing dispute.
The deceased, identified as Rashida Begum,42, was the wife of Delwar Hossain of Maheshpur village in Purba Dhoir Paschim Union.
Police have recovered the body and sent it to the Cumilla Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy.
According to local sources, there was a long-standing dispute between two local groups, one led by Khorshed Alam and the other by Union Parishad (UP) member Rahim Sarkar, in Maheshpur village.
Rashida’s husband, Delwar Hossain, is reportedly a member of the Khorshed Alam group and is currently a fugitive accused in the murder case of Maula Sarkar, a member of the rival Rahim Sarkar group.
The incident occurred when Rashida Begum arrived in the village on Thursday to retrieve seven of her cows.
Witnesses said as she was transporting the livestock away in a pickup truck, a group of 15 to 20 individuals, including Samad, Rashid, and Shirina from the Rahim Sarkar group, intercepted the vehicle.
The attackers reportedly dragged Rashida out of the truck and beat her indiscriminately.
Her two daughters were also physically assaulted when they attempted to intervene and save their mother.
Upon receiving information, police rescued the victim and rushed her to the Muradnagar Upazila Health Complex, where she succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment.
The victim’s uncle, Salahuddin, alleged that his niece was murdered as a direct consequence of the ongoing feud.
Shafiul Alam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bangra Bazar Police Station, confirmed the incident, saying that the body has been sent for a post-mortem examination.
“Additional police forces have been deployed in the area to maintain order, and we are currently conducting raids to apprehend those involved in the killing,” the OC added
