Police have recovered the decomposed, headless body of a 55-year-old rickshaw-van driver who went missing four days earlier in Jibannagar, Chuadanga, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding his death and the disappearance of his vehicle.
The body of Chan Mia, also known as Chand Ali, was recovered at around 9.30 am on Monday, 19 October, from the roadside along the Kotchandpur road in Jibannagar upazila. His family subsequently identified the remains as those of the missing driver.
Chan Mia was the son of the late Jonab Ali and lived in the Hasadah Baligart Para area of Jibannagar upazila, in Chuadanga district in south-western Bangladesh.
According to local residents and family sources, Chan Mia went missing on 15 October. His relatives searched various places in an effort to locate him but were unable to establish his whereabouts. His rickshaw-van also disappeared around the same time, adding to the family’s concerns.
With no sign of him, his family lodged a general diary (GD) with Jibannagar Police Station. Despite their efforts to find him, his whereabouts remained unknown until the discovery of the body on Monday morning.
Police received information that a decomposed, headless body was lying beside the Kotchandpur road, near the Shahapur police camp. Officers subsequently went to the scene and recovered the remains. Family members arrived at the location and identified the body as Chan Mia’s.
The recovery has prompted an investigation into the circumstances of his disappearance and death. The fact that his head was missing and his body had decomposed has made a thorough examination particularly important in establishing the details of the case.
His rickshaw-van has yet to be traced. Police suspect that he may have been killed in an attempt to steal the vehicle, although this remains a preliminary theory rather than an established motive. Investigators will need to determine whether the disappearance of the van was connected to the killing and identify anyone responsible.
Jibannagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Solaiman Sheikh said the body had been sent to the mortuary at Chuadanga Sadar Hospital for a post-mortem examination. He added that further legal proceedings were under way.
The post-mortem findings are expected to assist investigators in determining the cause of death and may provide evidence relevant to the investigation. Establishing the sequence of events leading to Chan Mia’s disappearance, locating his missing vehicle and identifying those involved will also be key aspects of the inquiry.
The discovery has raised concerns among local residents, particularly because the victim had been missing for several days before his body was found. However, the precise circumstances of the killing, the motive behind it and the whereabouts of the missing rickshaw-van remain unclear.
Police are continuing to investigate the case, with further action expected as evidence emerges and the findings of the post-mortem examination become available.
