Jute Mill Manager Shahjahan Bhuiyan suffered a fatal stroke inside his office in Tangail following days of intense psychological pressure and death threats. The incident unfolded at the Food Officers Jamuna Jute Industries facility located in the Bhuapur upazila, where local workers and colleagues have expressed deep shock and dismay over the tragedy.
According to details emerging from the factory, the ordeal began on August 22 when three local individuals identified as Wares, Shamim, and Likhon entered the premises. The suspects allegedly demanded five million taka in extortion money from Mr Bhuiyan. When the manager refused to comply with the financial demand, the situation escalated rapidly. Closed-circuit television footage recovered from the office captured the suspects confronting the manager inside his cabin, hurling threats, and intimidating him over the course of several days.
Colleagues and workers at the industrial unit painted a distressing picture of the events leading up to the manager’s sudden death. Rashid, a factory labourer, noted that Wares and his associates had frequented the office multiple times, creating a hostile environment and throwing office furniture around during their visits. Another worker, Liakat Ali, pointed out the broader economic implications for the community, explaining that the mill provides livelihoods for around four hundred workers in a region where alternative industrial employment is scarce. The factory accountant, Yasin Arafat, added that the extortionists used various pretexts to justify the demand, ranging from party funding to local road repairs, eventually threatening to block access roads to the factory.
Tension mounted further when arrangements were being made to address the demands. Following consultations with the factory owner, staff members indicated a willingness to negotiate a partial payment to appease the group. However, on the afternoon of August 24, shortly before a scheduled collection call from Wares, Mr Bhuiyan collapsed at his desk after experiencing acute physical distress brought on by severe anxiety and stress. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
In response to the incident, factory supervisor Md Aktar Hossain lodged a formal complaint at the Bhuapur police station, leading to a registered extortion case against Wares, Shamim, and Likhon.
Local political figures and representatives have faced scrutiny regarding the aftermath of the incident. While local residents alleged that family members of the deceased were discouraged from speaking publicly about the matter, Bhuapur upazila BNP general secretary Md Selimuzzaman Talukdar Selu stated that the party would not condone individual wrongdoing and supported appropriate administrative action should investigations confirm the allegations.
Meanwhile, investigating officers have reviewed the surveillance recordings and interviewed staff members. Bhuapur police station officer-in-charge Md Rezaul Karim confirmed that the case has been officially recorded and law enforcement teams are carrying out targeted operations to apprehend the named suspects.
