A 32-year-old readymade garment worker lost his life late on Tuesday night after being brutally assaulted whilst watching a violent altercation between two rival factions in Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila.
The victim, identified as Md Sohag Mia, died at around 11:30 pm on 10 November near the Panchdona area of Narsingdi district whilst being rushed to Dhaka for emergency medical treatment. The assault took place earlier in the day, at approximately 1:30 pm, in the Beparhati locality situated on the eastern side of Main Bazar in Majlishpur Union.
Local police officials indicated that the violent encounter stemmed from an ongoing feud over territorial dominance and illegal drug trafficking between two local groups led by individuals named Mobarak and Hanif. The long-standing tension escalated into a fierce clash on Tuesday afternoon. Sohag, who happened to be nearby, approached the area as an innocent bystander to observe the disturbance. During the commotion, members of the Hanif faction allegedly targeted and severely beat him, leaving him critically injured.
In a curious turn of events, members of the Hanif group brought the wounded man to the Brahmanbaria 250-Bed General Hospital at around 6:30 pm. However, hospital records reveal that his captors concealed his identity upon admission. The hospital entry ticket falsely listed his name as “Abdul,” recorded his age as 35, and named his father as Jinnat Ali. Police investigations subsequently confirmed his true identity as Md Sohag Mia, son of Elem Mia.
Attending physicians at the Brahmanbaria facility administered emergency treatment but advised an immediate transfer to a specialised hospital in Dhaka due to the severity of his injuries. Sohag succumbed to his wounds en route during the journey through Narsingdi. His body was subsequently returned to Brahmanbaria and placed in the 250-Bed General Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
The victim’s brother, Rakib, explained that Sohag was employed in the readymade garment industry in Chittagong and had returned home to Brahmanbaria just three or four days prior to collect essential documents required for a new job opportunity. Emphatically denying any involvement of his brother in illegal drug trade or local violence, Rakib directly accused Hanif and his associates of stabbing and murdering Sohag in cold blood.
Officer-in-Charge of Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station, Khairul Alam, confirmed the fatality and stated that law enforcement personnel were dispatched immediately to both the scene of the crime and the hospital mortuary. Investigators are currently working to determine whether the attack was driven by territorial rivalry or narcotics trade disputes. Authorities assured that formal legal proceedings will be initiated as soon as a official complaint is registered by the victim’s family.
