A 25-year-old fish vendor was hacked to death by members of a juvenile gang while getting a haircut inside a barber shop in Keraniganj. Family members and eyewitnesses claimed that the brutal murder stemmed from a feud over extortion demands and setting up a makeshift pavement shop in the nearby Mohammadpur area.
The horrific incident occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, 15 September, inside ‘Raj Saloon’ located in the Arshinagar area of Keraniganj.
The victim was identified as Farhad Hossain, son of Farooq Hossain from Nurabad village under Dularhat upazila in Bhola district. Farhad had been residing with his family in the Member Gali area of Arshinagar, earning his living by selling fish on the pavement in Mohammadpur’s Mohirgola locality.
Eyewitnesses reported that Farhad visited the neighbourhood salon near his residence shortly after midday. Moments after he sat down in the barber’s chair, a group of 10 to 15 armed youths associated with a local juvenile gang known as the ‘Alex Group’ stormed the establishment. Led by gang operatives Sabbir and Arman, the assailants launched an unprovoked attack, hacking Farhad indiscriminately with sharp weapons before fleeing the scene.
Terrified locals and family members rushed to the blood-soaked shop, rescuing Farhad in critical condition. He was immediately transported to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where attending doctors pronounced him dead upon arrival at around 4:30 pm.
The victim’s friend, Arif, revealed that Farhad had been facing persistent harassment from the gang for several weeks over his roadside business. Key gang members—including Arman, Sohel, Kallu, and Sabbir—had demanded a lump-sum extortion payment of Tk 50,000, alongside daily operational levies. The gang repeatedly threatened to shut down his stall and bar him from the area if he refused to comply with their demands.
Farhad’s refusal to pay the extortion money sparked an ongoing conflict with the group. Relatives asserted that the gang carefully tracked Farhad’s movements before launching the premeditated assault inside the barber shop.
Tension remains high in Arshinagar following the attack. Police officers inspected the crime scene and DMCH, launching targeted drives to apprehend the perpetrators and restore order. Bereaved family members and local traders have demanded immediate arrests and exemplary punishment for all individuals involved in the murder.
