Father dies in hospital a day after child's body recovered in Munshiganj's Sirajdikhan, neighbour detained
In Sirajdikhan, Munshiganj, Golap Hossain has died while under treatment, a day after the body of his five-year-old daughter Toaba Akter was recovered. An allegation has been raised that father and daughter were attacked over a land dispute.
Police have detained neighbour Sohrab Hossain over the incident.
Toaba's body was recovered on Thursday morning from abandoned land beside a brickfield in Ramkrishnadi village of Latabdi union in the upazila.
At around 1:30pm the same day, doctors declared Golap Hossain dead while he was under treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Golap Hossain was 32. He was the son of Joynal Mia of Ramkrishnadi village. He lived with his wife and child at his in-laws' house in Dosarpara village of the same union.
Police said Golap went on Wednesday afternoon to meet his father, who worked at a brickfield in Ramkrishnadi village. At around 8pm he set out for his in-laws' house with his daughter.
On the way, Golap had tea with his daughter at Ramkrishnadi Bazar. Police said that when they reached Patharghata village, several masked men blocked their path.
Golap had told police that he was beaten and struck with a sharp weapon at that time and his daughter was taken away.
When Golap later reached his father's house, his father Joynal Mia admitted him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Wednesday night. There was an allegation that Golap had been beaten and forcibly fed poison. Police said the hospital records mentioned poisoning and injuries on his body.
After primary treatment he was advised to stay in hospital, but towards dawn he went to Swadesh Hospital in Abdullahpur. When his condition deteriorated, he was taken again to Dhaka Medical College Hospital at around 11:30am on Thursday. He died there.
Munshiganj Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Ops) Md Kamran Hossain said neighbour Sohrab Hossain was detained based on Golap's statement.
The additional superintendent said it was initially learned that Sohrab has land-related cases ongoing with relatives of Golap's in-laws. Information was also found that several people from both sides had served jail terms over this dispute. An investigation is under way to identify the real cause and those involved.
The dead child's grandmother Taslima said her son has a land dispute with neighbour Sohrab. She believes her son-in-law and granddaughter were killed over that dispute. Golap's mother Hasu Begum also said a case over land with Sohrab's family is ongoing in court against her son.
Police said that after the child's body was recovered on Thursday morning, attempts to identify her led to information about Golap's whereabouts. His being under treatment was then confirmed.
After an inquest, child Toaba's body was sent to Munshiganj General Hospital for post-mortem. Golap's post-mortem will be at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Several teams of Sirajdikhan police and district detective police are working on the investigation.
