Man killed for protesting daughter’s harassment

A man was beaten to death allegedly by a local Swechchhasebak Dal leader for protesting the harassment of his 14-year-old daughter in Bogura town yesterday.

The incident took place around 2:00pm in the Phulbari-Joraghat area of Bogura town, said Hasan Basir, officer-in-charge of Bogura Sadar Police Station.

Police detained the main suspect, Jitu Islam, 43, and two of his cohorts immediately after the incident, said the OC.

Swechchhasebak Dal said it expelled Jitu as the assistant general secretary of its Bogura District Unit after the incident.

Mostafa Manzur, additional superintendent of police in Bogura, told The Daily Star that they initially learned that Jitu had made a marriage proposal to a 14-year-old girl. Her father strongly protested it, questioning how Jitu could consider marrying an underage girl.

An altercation broke out between Jitu and the girl's father yesterday afternoon. Around 2:00pm, Jitu went to the victim's house with a gang on 4-5 motorcycles, forcibly took the man to the Joraghat area, and severely beat him, said the police official.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team went to the spot and found the man in a critical condition. When the family took him to a hospital, doctors declared him dead, Addl SP Mostafa added.

The victim's family alleged that after they rejected Jitu's marriage proposal, he began harassing the girl. Yesterday morning, the girl's father became enraged and slapped Jitu.

Later, Jitu and his associates severely beat the man, they said.

When he tried to take shelter at home, Jitu and his accomplices returned on 4-5 motorcycles, forcibly dragged him to the Phulbari riverbank, and beat him to death, alleged the victim's family.

OC Hasan said there are five cases against Jitu with the Sadar Police Station, including charges of drugs and attempted robbery.

Contacted, Bogura Swechchhasebak Dal President Sarkar Mukul said the organisation expelled Jitu following the incident, and it would not take responsibility for an individual's crime.

However, no case was filed till the filing of this report at 10:00pm.