Another Bangladeshi murdered in South Africa

A Bangladeshi youth, who was shot dead by some unknown criminals in Newcastle city in South Africa (SA) on May 8, was laid to rest after holding the namaj-e-janaza in Kalihati upazila yesterday.

The body of Joynal Abedin, 35, son of Rustom Ali of Terki village in Kalihati upazila, was brought back to the country early yesterday and later taken to his native village in Tangail.

Family members and relatives burst into tears after Joynal’s body reached his house yesterday morning while his mother Jahanara and sister Jesmin were losing consciousness often, locals said.

After holding his namaj-e-janaza around 10:00am Joynal was buried at the village graveyard the same day, they said.

Deceased’s younger brother Mohammad Alam said after completing his graduation from a local college, Joynal went to South Africa in 2010 and started a grocery business in Newcastle.

He used to live in a room adjacent to his shop, Alam said.

After hearing some noise on May 8, when Joynal peeped through a widow of his room, a group of unidentified criminals shot him dead, Alam said.

Joynal’s uncle Dudu Mallik said another Bangladeshi, also one of Joynal’s neighbours in SA, informed the family about the murder on Thursday.

Joynal, second among four brothers and a sister, was scheduled to visit his village home on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitre, he added.

Earlier on April 23, Firoz Miah alias Shimul, 30, son of Humayun Kabir of Gorai village in Mirzapur upazila, was shot dead by some unidentified criminals in Johannesburg.

The gang also took away Tk 6 lakh from Shimul, who had been running a stationary shop there for nearly 10 years.

On October 6 last year, criminals stabbed Titu Khan, 40, son of late Hasmot Khan of Baoar Kumarjani village in the upazila, to death at Musina in Limpopo province.

Titu was running a business there for the last 12 years.

Ripon Hasan of Khudirampur village in Tangail Sadar upazila, who has been serving at a shop in Cape Town, told this correspondent over phone that some local gangs are responsible for most of the attacks.

He said as far he knows, about 1 lakh Bangladeshis live in different cities of South Africa.