A man accused of extortion was beaten to death by a mob in Bangladesh’s Rajbari district late Wednesday night, raising fresh concerns over vigilante violence in the country.
The incident took place around 11:00 pm at Hosendanga village in Kalimohor union under Pangsha upazila. The deceased was identified as Amrit Mondal, also known as Samrat, a resident of the same village, reported The Daily Star.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (Pangsha Circle) Debrata Sarkar told reporters that police rushed to the spot after receiving information and found Samrat in a critical condition.
He was taken to Pangsha Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead around 2:00 am. During the incident, police arrested one of Samrat’s associates, Mohammad Selim, and recovered two firearms from his possession.
Later, a pistol and a one-shooter gun were seized from Selim, who was taken into custody. Samrat’s body was sent to Rajbari Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy.
Police said Samrat had at least two cases filed against him at Pangsha Police Station, including a murder case.
According to locals, Samrat had formed a criminal gang and was involved in extortion and other criminal activities for a long time.
After remaining in hiding in India for an extended period, he had recently returned to the village and allegedly demanded extortion money from Shahidul Islam, a local resident.
On Wednesday night, Samrat and his associates went to Shahidul’s house to collect the money. When the occupants raised an alarm shouting “robbers”, villagers gathered at the spot and assaulted Samrat.
While other members of the group managed to flee, Selim was caught with weapons. The Daily Star reported that police confirmed the killing followed allegations of extortion.
The incident comes just days after another lynching that drew national attention.
In Mymensingh district, 27-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, a garment factory worker living as a tenant in Bhaluka upazila, was beaten to death by a mob over unverified allegations of blasphemy.
