BNP Activist Brutally Murdered in Sabujbagh, Severed Hands Unrecovered

Police in Dhaka have launched a homicide investigation following the brutal killing of Ibrahim Palash, a local Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activist, who was hacked to death in the capital’s Sabujbagh area. The attackers severed both of Palash’s hands at the wrists before fleeing the scene with the limbs. Law enforcement officers confirmed that despite ongoing search operations and autopsy procedures at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) morgue, the severed hands have yet to be recovered.

The attack occurred on Tuesday, 21 July, at approximately 8:10 pm outside a grocery shop near the water pump at Rajarbagh Market in Sabujbagh.

According to the official inquest report, Palash sustained extensive sharp-force trauma across his body, including deep lacerations to his head, neck, chest, and waist. Forensic findings indicate that his death resulted from massive haemorrhaging caused by multiple deep wounds and the amputation of both hands.

Palash, who married his wife Moriyam just five months ago, was ambushed while carrying out daily errands. His elder sister, Josna Begum, recounted that Palash had left her residence earlier in the afternoon to deliver food to his niece at a local madrasa before heading towards the Kalibari area. Shortly afterwards, the family received news that he had been discovered critically injured in the street. Local residents rushed him to Mugda Medical College Hospital, from where he was transferred to DMCH, where attending physicians pronounced him dead on arrival.

CCTV footage recovered from the area captured a man identified by locals as Royal, a known neighbourhood operative, brandishing a samurai-style sword and repeatedly striking the victim in public. The video footage showed that several accomplices had scouted Palash’s location beforehand, signaling Royal to launch the ambush once the area cleared.

Law enforcement sources and local accounts reveal that the murder stemmed from escalating disputes involving extortion, local theft, and teenage gang rivalries. Tensions began when a local gang leader, known as “Kidney-Pochha Sabuj”, allegedly stole a rickshaw from the Basabo Colony area and subsequently assaulted a mechanic while demanding extortion money at a local garage. The rickshaw owners approached Palash to mediate the dispute. When Palash confronted Sabuj, Royal intervened on the gang leader’s behalf, leading to an altercation at Royal’s residence days prior to the killing.

On the night of the attack, Palash mediated another local dispute involving a caught mobile phone thief named Dukhu. Upon hearing of Palash’s involvement, Royal, alongside associates identified as Gurudas, Sabuj, and Shafiq, armed themselves with edged weapons, intercepted Palash, and carried out the fatal assault. Intelligence sources indicate that the suspects planned the attack at the residence of a local patron, Eliyas Babu, also known as “Video Babu”.

Saiful Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Sabujbagh Police Station, stated that initial investigations point to past financial disputes and personal altercations involving Royal and his associates. He confirmed that police have identified four suspects from CCTV footage and have launched targeted raids across the capital to arrest the perpetrators and retrieve the victim’s severed limbs.