A 45-year-old man has died from injuries sustained during a violent mob attack in Badalgachhi upazila of Naogaon district, following allegations of his involvement in stealing a battery-operated van. The victim, identified as Haider Ali, succumbed to his injuries on Sunday morning while undergoing treatment at the Akkelpur Upazila Health Complex in neighbouring Joypurhat.
Haider Ali was a resident of Deonahar village within the Bhatsha Union of Joypurhat district and the son of the late Kohir Uddin. Relatives of the deceased have strongly contested the accusations against him. Sabuj Hossain, a serving police officer and nephew of the victim, stated that his uncle was never involved in any criminal activity and described him as a vagrant who was unjustifiably beaten to death.
According to local accounts, the incident traces back to the afternoon of 29 October, when Haider Ali and several companions allegedly hired a battery-driven van operated by a driver named Saumik from Badalgachhi’s Baratail village in Balubhara Union. The group offered BDT 300 to travel from the Notun Bridge area to Akkelpur. During the journey, the men purportedly offered lunch to Saumik, administering a substance that left him unconscious before fleeing with the vehicle.
Following the theft, Saumik’s family filed a general diary (GD) with Akkelpur Police Station and secured closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the suspects. On Saturday, while visiting Badalgachhi Police Station to trace the missing vehicle, family members and local residents identified Haider Ali from the security footage.
Locals subsequently detained him at Paharpur Bazaar and placed him on a van to transport him to the police station. Upon reaching the station intersection, Haider Ali attempted to escape by leaping off the vehicle. The driver’s father raised an alarm, shouting that a thief was fleeing, which prompted a crowd in the market to surround and assault him. Although he was eventually moved to a wooden bench at a nearby microbus stand, the crowd attacked him a second time.
Upon receiving information, local residents and police officers intervened to rescue the severely injured man. He was initially rushed to Badalgachhi Upazila Health Complex before being transferred to Akkelpur Upazila Health Complex due to his deteriorating condition. He passed away early the following morning.
Dr Nazmul Haq, the Sub-Assistant Community Medical Officer on duty at the Akkelpur facility’s emergency department, confirmed that the patient arrived with extensive trauma and severe assault marks covering his body.
Inspectors Mehedi Masud of Akkelpur Police Station and Habibur Rahman of Badalgachhi Police Station confirmed that the body has been sent to the Joypurhat Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy. Law enforcement authorities stated that formal legal action and a detailed investigation will proceed once a written complaint is officially submitted by the victim’s family.
