BNP leader hacked and injured in Bhola, accused youth dies in mob beating
An allegation has been raised that a BNP leader was hacked and injured in Bhola Sadar Upazila for obstructing open drug use. Following the incident, the accused youth, named Asif, died in a mob beating by an agitated crowd.
The attack took place on Saturday (October 17) evening in the Anandabazar area of Rajapur. The injured BNP leader, Hossain Manager, was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in a critical condition.
Police and local sources say Hossain Manager, president of Ward No. 7 BNP of Rajapur Union in Bhola Sadar Upazila, had obstructed Asif from using drugs in public. Asif is a resident of Rajapur.
In its wake, on Saturday evening Asif allegedly launched a sudden attack on Hossain Manager in the Anandabazar area. At that time he was hacked with a sharp weapon and seriously injured.
When news of the attack spread, the angry people of Rajapur surrounded the accused Asif and beat him in a mob attack. Asif was seriously injured in this beating.
On receiving the news, police went and rescued Asif in a seriously injured condition and admitted him to Bhola Sadar Hospital. In the early hours of today, Sunday, Asif died while under treatment at the hospital.
Describing the incident, the deceased's mother Halima Begum said her son was addicted to drugs and that he hacked Hossain Manager — all of it is true, but does that mean they would kill him? She said she wants justice for this incident.
On the other hand, local BNP leader Abul Khayer said Asif was addicted to drugs and had served jail time several times before. Meanwhile, an allegation has also been raised that one side is trying to take political advantage centered on Asif's death.
In this regard, Monirul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Bhola Sadar Model Police Station, said the agitated crowd gave Asif a mob beating over the incident of the stabbing of local Hossain Manager. Later he was rescued and admitted to hospital. He died in the early hours while under treatment.
He further said the incident is being investigated with importance. Alongside this, police are working to control the law and order situation in the area.
On one side, the BNP leader is under treatment in Dhaka in a critical condition following the attack on him; on the other, the death of the accused youth in a mob beating — both incidents are now within the scope of investigation. Against the backdrop of the deceased's family's demand for justice and the tension in the area, everyone's attention is now on the police investigation.
This dispute, which began with the obstruction of drug use, ultimately took the form of deadly violence. This incident of taking the law into one's own hands has once again brought forward the horror of mob beatings, where whatever the allegation, the consequence of justice being carried out on the street outside the court has extended as far as the loss of life.
