A late-night dispute inside a hotel bar in Cox’s Bazar turned fatal when a 28-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death by a friend. The young man accused of carrying out the stabbing later died in hospital after being beaten by relatives of the victim and taken into police custody.
The incident took place at around 11.30pm on Thursday inside the bar of Renaissance Hotel in the Jhautola area of Cox’s Bazar town.
The victim was identified as Nazibul Haque, 28, a resident of Nuniachhara in the town. The other deceased was identified as Salman Mia, also 28, from the BGB Camp area.
According to police and hotel authorities, Nazibul and Salman were close friends. On Thursday night, they went to the hotel bar with three other friends, where they were drinking. At one point, an argument broke out among them over an unspecified matter.
The disagreement reportedly escalated, and Salman allegedly attacked Nazibul repeatedly with a knife. Nazibul died at the scene from his injuries.
News of the stabbing prompted relatives of Nazibul to rush to the hotel from Nuniachhara. They reportedly caught Salman and took him towards Nuniachhara while beating him. Police were informed of the incident and subsequently detained Salman.
He was taken to the 250-bed Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital at around 1am. As his physical condition deteriorated, doctors referred him to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. He was transferred there later that night but died while undergoing treatment on Friday morning.
Additional Superintendent of Police of Cox’s Bazar district, Ahidur Rahman, said the initial investigation indicated that the stabbing followed an argument while the group was drinking at the hotel bar.
He said Salman was injured after being beaten by the victim’s relatives and was subsequently taken into police custody. Despite receiving treatment, he later died in hospital.
Police have launched a broader investigation into the circumstances surrounding both deaths. The hotel bar has been kept closed while investigators collect evidence and complete the necessary procedures.
Authorities are examining CCTV footage from the premises and questioning employees who were working at the bar at the time of the incident. Investigators are also trying to establish whether anyone else was involved in the events leading up to the stabbing or the subsequent assault on Salman.
The police have said that the security arrangements at the bar are also being examined as part of the investigation.
Cox’s Bazar Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sheikh Mohammad Ali said Salman was identified as a leader of a local juvenile gang. He also had several cases filed against him at the police station, including allegations related to robbery.
The deaths of the two young men have added complexity to the investigation, as police are looking into both the alleged stabbing and the subsequent beating. Authorities said legal action would be taken based on the evidence gathered during the investigation.
The exact sequence of events, including what triggered the argument, how the stabbing occurred and who participated in the later assault, is expected to become clearer after investigators review the CCTV recordings and statements from witnesses and hotel staff.
