A 30-year-old employee at an authorised liquor shop in Narsingdi has succumbed to severe burn injuries after being set on fire for refusing to hand over free alcohol. Tanvir Ahmed Rabbi died on Thursday afternoon whilst receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka. His death came five days after the brutal assault took place in Narsingdi town.
The incident unfolded on Saturday afternoon, 19 September, at a licensed spirits shop in the Bajir Mor area of Narsingdi. According to police records and the official case statement, Zahid Sarkar, son of local residential hotel owner Jahangir Sarkar, arrived at the establishment accompanied by several associates. The group demanded ten litres of locally produced liquor free of charge. When Rabbi, who was working behind the counter, refused to comply with their demand, an argument ensued. The perpetrators subsequently poured petrol over Rabbi and set him alight before fleeing the scene.
Bystanders and shop attendants rushed to Rabbi’s aid, extinguishing the flames and transporting him to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital. Due to the critical nature of his burn injuries, medical staff immediately transferred him to the specialised burn unit in the capital, where he remained under intensive care until his death at 5:00 pm on Thursday. The news of his passing triggered widespread grief and indignation among his family and local residents.
Following the attack, the victim’s mother, Minu Begum, lodged a formal case with Narsingdi Sadar Model Police Station on Sunday, 20 September. The complaint named Jahangir Sarkar and his son Zahid as primary suspects, alongside two to three unidentified accomplices.
Law enforcement agencies launched a coordinated crackdown following the incident. A joint team comprising Narsingdi Sadar Model Police and the District Detective Branch executed a raid in the Baniyachhal Balurmath area early Thursday morning, arresting 60-year-old Jahangir Sarkar. A subsequent operation in the Gabtoli area led to the apprehension of a second suspect, 30-year-old Kazi Toufiq Ahmed, also known as Pias.
Addressing a news conference on Thursday evening, Officer-in-Charge of Narsingdi Sadar Model Police Station, ARM Al Mamun, confirmed the details of the fatalities and arrests. He stated that police teams are actively pursuing the prime accused, Zahid Sarkar, who remains at large, and assured that all individuals involved in the murder will face full prosecution under the law.
