A 45-year-old Bangladeshi trader has been shot dead by a gang of armedextortionists in South Africa after refusing to comply with their financial demands. The incident took place at around 9:00 pm local time on Wednesday (1:00 am Thursday, Bangladesh Standard Time) in the Zulu-Themba area of Worcester, near Cape Town.
The victim, identified as Maruf Hossain, hailed from West Siddya village in the Damudya Upazila of Shariatpur district. According to family members, Maruf migrated to South Africa 16 years ago in search of better economic prospects and had operated a grocery retail business in the Cape Town area for over a decade.
His nephew, Kamruzzaman Kawsar, confirmed the tragic news after receiving a telephone call from Maruf’s brother, Billal Hossain, who also resides in South Africa. Relatives revealed that local criminal gangs had been harassing Maruf for extortion money, prompting him to keep his establishment closed for the past two months due to escalating safety concerns.
On Wednesday evening, Maruf was managing the cash counter at his shop when a group of armed criminals barged onto the premises. When he refused to pay the demanded extortion fees, the attackers opened fire indiscriminately, shooting him in the chest before fleeing the scene. He was rushed to a nearby medical facility, where attending doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.
The tragedy leaves behind a grieving family in Shariatpur, including his wife, a son, and two daughters. His son, Sifat Hossain, recalled that his father had left for South Africa when he was merely a third-grade student, enduring a arduous 22-day journey to reach his destination. Maruf had never returned to Bangladesh during his 16 years abroad, meaning his youngest daughter, born after his departure, never had the opportunity to meet him in person. He was scheduled to make his first visit home later this year.
This fatal attack highlights an alarming pattern of targeted violence against foreign shopkeepers and small business owners in South African townships and informal settlements. Armed robbery, extortion rackets, and xenophobic attacks continue to pose significant threats to the safety of migrant traders operating spaza shops across the country.
The incident marks the second violent death of a Bangladeshi national in South Africa within less than a week. On Friday, 16 October, another Bangladeshi businessman, 31-year-old Mahfuzur Rahman Raju, was shot dead in the Somemore area of Kwatsaduza, near Springs in Gauteng province. Raju, a native of West Maizdee in Noakhali Sadar Upazila, was honoured during a funeral prayer held at the Bakerton Mosque in Springs following Wednesday’s Midday prayers, prior to the repatriation of his remains.
In light of the horrific event, Maruf’s family members have appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the High Commission of Bangladesh in Pretoria to facilitate the swift repatriation of his mortal remains so he may be laid to rest in his native village.
