A 50-year-old Awami League activist was allegedly hacked to death by opponents after being called out of his home in Munshiganj, prompting demands from his family for justice. The incident took place at around 9.45pm on Wednesday, 4 November, in Vitihogla village of Char Kewar Union under Sadar Upazila.
The victim, identified as Jahed Bepari, was an active supporter of the Awami League and a supporter of former Munshiganj-3 MP Faisal Biplob, according to his family.
Family members said Jahed was called out of his home on Wednesday night before being suddenly attacked by members of a rival group. The assailants allegedly struck him repeatedly with sharp weapons, leaving him critically injured and bleeding heavily.
He was initially rescued and taken to Munshiganj General Hospital. As his condition deteriorated, doctors in the emergency department referred him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. However, despite receiving medical attention, he died later that night from excessive blood loss. His body is currently being kept at the hospital’s morgue.
Jahed’s wife, Baby Begum, alleged that Farid Hossain and his associates had previously supported former MP Mrinal Kanti Das during the Awami League government’s tenure. Following the change of government, she claimed, they aligned themselves with BNP leaders and activists and had since been involved in various activities in the locality that she described as disruptive.
According to Baby Begum, Jahed and Farid had supported two different former Awami League MPs, and their political differences had fuelled a longstanding rivalry. She believes the earlier dispute may have contributed to the killing.
The family also suspects that a disagreement over an upcoming religious gathering at a local shrine may have played a role. An annual urs ceremony is scheduled to take place at a shrine in Vitihogla village on Friday, and tensions reportedly emerged between Jahed and some local residents over arrangements for the event.
However, the exact circumstances and motive behind the killing have yet to be established. Police are investigating the possible links between the political rivalry and the dispute surrounding the religious gathering.
The killing has left Jahed’s three daughters devastated. His eldest daughter, Faria Akter, appealed to the authorities to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
Speaking about the incident, she said her father had been brutally attacked in front of the three sisters. Her younger sisters, Maria, who has a disability, and Ima, witnessed the assault.
“We have become fatherless for the rest of our lives. My sisters saw our father being hacked in front of their eyes. How are we supposed to forget such a horrifying memory? We demand exemplary punishment for everyone involved in this incident,” she said.
Officer-in-Charge of Munshiganj Sadar Police Station, Md Taslim Uddin, said preliminary findings suggested that the killing stemmed from a longstanding dispute. However, he said investigators were examining several possible motives to establish the actual circumstances surrounding the incident.
The police officer also said that efforts were under way to arrest Farid Bepari, identified by police as the main suspect in the murder. According to the OC, Farid has previously been named in several criminal cases, including murder and drug-related cases.
Police operations to locate and arrest the suspect are continuing. Investigators are also working to determine whether the killing was primarily motivated by political hostility, a personal dispute or disagreements over the upcoming shrine ceremony.
While the family has accused people from the rival group of carrying out the attack, the allegations have yet to be established through the investigation. The authorities have not yet confirmed the precise motive or announced any arrest in connection with the killing.
