The deceased, Yunus Al Murshed, 48, was the president of the Awami League’s ward No. 9 unit in Mirzapur Municipality. He was the son of Amir Hossain and a resident of Kathalia village in the municipality.
According to local sources, Murshed regularly went fishing in the Lohajang River, which runs close to his home. He usually used a traditional fishing net known as a dharma jal, a method that does not require the fisherman to enter the water.
On Friday afternoon, he went to the riverside as usual to catch fish. However, when evening passed and he had still not returned home, his family members became concerned and went to the riverbank to look for him. During the search, they spotted his body floating in the water.
Local residents subsequently recovered the body from the river. However, the circumstances surrounding his death have prompted questions among people familiar with his fishing habits and swimming abilities.
A local resident, Shaminur Mia, said Murshed did not need to enter the river to fish with the type of net he regularly used. He also noted that several people had seen Murshed fishing shortly before sunset on Friday.
According to Shaminur, Murshed’s body was found with severe injuries to both eyes and one ear. The nature of these injuries has added to local concerns about how he died, although no official explanation has yet been provided.
Afzalur Rahman Chanu, a former councillor of Mirzapur Municipality, also expressed doubts about the circumstances. He described Murshed as a skilled swimmer and questioned how someone with his swimming ability could have drowned in water that was only chest-deep.
His comments have added to calls among local residents for the circumstances of the death to be properly examined. However, the concerns and observations made by residents have not established whether the death was accidental or involved any other circumstances.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday morning, Mirzapur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdullah Al Mamun confirmed the recovery of the body.
He said police had not received any formal complaint in connection with the incident. The authorities would take legal action in accordance with the law if a complaint was lodged, he added.
As of Saturday morning, police had not announced any findings regarding the cause of death. The circumstances in which Murshed entered the river, the injuries observed on his body and the accounts of local witnesses remain important questions surrounding the incident.
A medical examination, including a post-mortem, could help establish the cause and nature of his death. Any further investigation would also need to consider witness statements and the circumstances in which his body was discovered.
For now, the death of the 48-year-old Awami League leader remains unexplained, with residents awaiting clarity over what happened on Friday evening.
