A police officer serving with the Special Branch was allegedly beaten to death following a dispute over the parking of a private car in Savar’s Aminbazar area, with his younger son also sustaining serious injuries in the incident.
The deceased was identified as Altaf Hossain, 58, a sub-inspector with the Special Branch’s Malibagh zone in Dhaka. His younger son, Ariful Islam, 26, was seriously injured in the attack.
The incident took place at Madina Housing in the Bardeshi area of Aminbazar, Savar, at around 8pm on Saturday, 5 September.
According to police, the confrontation began over the parking of a private car in front of a T-shirt factory. Altaf Hossain and his son reportedly became involved in an argument with between 10 and 15 people over the matter. The verbal dispute subsequently escalated, and the two were allegedly attacked.
Both father and son suffered serious injuries. They were taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka at around 9.30pm for treatment. Doctors at the hospital subsequently declared Altaf Hossain dead.
The circumstances surrounding the assault are now being examined by police. Although the initial dispute reportedly centred on vehicle parking, authorities have not yet confirmed whether this was the only motive behind the attack.
Savar Model Police Station officer-in-charge Md Saiful Alam confirmed that a Special Branch officer had been beaten to death in Aminbazar. He said police were at the scene following the incident.
Dhaka District Police Superintendent Shamima Parveen said the incident appeared to have originated from what was initially a minor dispute over parking. She said Altaf Hossain and his son were attacked near their home and that efforts were under way to identify and arrest those responsible.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Masud Rana of the Special Branch’s Savar zone said Altaf Hossain was serving as a sub-inspector with the Special Branch, although he was not posted to the Savar zone. He had a property in the Aminbazar area, he added.
Police have yet to establish the full sequence of events leading to the fatal assault. Investigators are expected to examine how the argument developed, who took part in the attack and whether any factors beyond the parking dispute contributed to the violence.
The death of a serving police officer following an altercation over a seemingly minor issue has also brought renewed attention to the risks of disputes escalating into physical violence. In this case, however, authorities have stressed that the precise circumstances and motive must be established through the investigation rather than assumed from the initial account.
Police said they were working to identify those involved and bring them under the law. Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.
