Madrasa Cook Beaten to Death in Rajbari's Goalanda after Refusing Food to Stranger, Assistant Injured

An unidentified man beat a madrasa cook to death with a piece of firewood after being refused food at a madrasa in Daulatdia, Goalanda upazila of Rajbari. The cook's female assistant was seriously injured in the incident. It happened at about 2:15pm on Friday (30 October) at the Daulatdia Anjuman-e-Quaderia Madrasatu Sabi-il-Hasan Dakhil Madrasa.

The dead cook was named as Fajer Ali Sardar (70), son of the late Ahmad Ali Sardar of Mallikpara village in Alipur union of Rajbari Sadar upazila. The injured assistant, Sonaban Bibi (65), is the wife of the late Saimuddin Sheikh of Siddiq Kazi Para, Bahir Char Daulatdia, in Daulatdia union of Goalanda upazila.

Several local people said cook Fajer Ali, after finishing cooking on Friday noon, was serving food to hostel students together with his assistant. At about 2:15pm an unidentified man went to the cook and asked for food.

When he did not get food, the man picked up a piece of firewood (chala) kept nearby for cooking and struck the cook on the head and neck. Fajer Ali died on the spot.

When his female colleague Sonaban Bibi came forward to save him, the man beat her as well, seriously injuring her.

Hearing their screams, worshippers from the mosque and people nearby rushed in and detained the unidentified man. Fajer Ali and Sonaban Bibi were rescued in a bloodied condition and taken to Goalanda Upazila Health Complex.

Kaushik Hasan, the doctor on duty at the health complex's emergency department, declared cook Fajer Ali dead. The seriously injured Sonaban Bibi was sent from there to Faridpur Medical College Hospital.

On receiving the news, Goalanda Ghat police took the unidentified man from the scene to Goalanda Upazila Health Complex for treatment.

Moktar Hossain Bepari, president of the Anjuman Qaderia committee that runs the madrasa, said that after Jumma prayers he and several worshippers were sitting and talking on the mosque veranda. Hearing screams, they ran over and saw the cook's bloodied body lying on the kitchen floor, with assistant Sonaban Bibi's bloodied body beside it. Local people were trying to tie the man to a bamboo post with rope.

Moktar Hossain Bepari said Goalanda Ghat police were informed, and the cook and the assistant were immediately rescued and taken to Goalanda Upazila Health Complex, where the doctor declared the cook dead and transferred the assistant to Faridpur.

Moktar Hossain added that the late Fajer Ali Sardar had worked as the cook for about eight years, since the hostel for the madrasa's students was started, and Sonaban Bibi had worked as his assistant for several years. He said they knew the unidentified man as mentally disabled, and that the incident had created a frightening situation at the madrasa.

Shafikul Islam, officer-in-charge of Goalanda Ghat police station, said that as soon as the news was received, the body was recovered and, after the inquest, sent to the Rajbari Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. The unidentified man (43), detained by the agitated crowd, is being treated at Goalanda Upazila Health Complex under police supervision.