A routine demand for unpaid daily wages escalated into severe violence in Patuakhali’s Bauphal upazila on Monday morning, leaving four members of the same family critically injured following an attack with sharp weapons.
The incident occurred around 7:00 am in Ward No. 1 of Goalia Bagha village, situated within the Surjamani Union. The victims have been identified as Johirul, aged 35, his brothers Rezaul, 30, and Khairul, 27, along with their 55-year-old mother, Monowara Begum.
According to family members, Johirul had recently worked as a day labourer on agricultural land owned by a local resident, Russel Mridha, for an agreed daily wage of 600 BDT. Tensions flared when Johirul approached Mridha to collect his legitimate earnings. Agitated by the request, Mridha allegedly assembled a group of associates armed with local weapons and launched a violent assault on Johirul.
When Monowara Begum and her two younger sons rushed to Johirul’s aid upon hearing his cries, the attackers turned on them as well, beating and hacking all four family members indiscriminately.
Local residents intervened to rescue the injured family and immediately transported them to the Bauphal Upazila Health Complex. Dr Mamunur Rashid, an attending physician at the facility, confirmed that all four patients sustained severe lacerations and trauma across various parts of their bodies. After receiving primary medical care to stabilise their condition, they were urgently transferred to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal for advanced treatment and specialised surgical care.
Attempts to reach Russel Mridha for comment following the incident were unsuccessful, as he remained unavailable.
Officer-in-Charge of Bauphal Police Station, Sirajul Islam, stated that a police team was dispatched to the health complex immediately after receiving report of the assault. Law enforcement authorities confirmed that formal legal proceedings will be initiated as soon as a written complaint is lodged by the victims’ family.
