A 60-year-old man, Fazle Ali Hazari, has been beaten to death in Kamalnagar, Lakshmipur, allegedly over a Facebook post his nephew wrote about his former wife.
The incident happened on Friday night (Oct. 23) at Battali Bazar in Char Kadira union of the upazila.
Fazle Ali lived in the Battali area of Ward 6 of Char Kadira union. He had settled there after losing his home in Ludhua Falkan, in the same upazila, to erosion by the Meghna river.
About two years ago Fazle Ali’s nephew, Delowar Mahmud, married Jerin Akter, daughter of Jamal Hossain of the Battali area, after a love affair. They divorced some time later after family disputes.
Recently Jerin married someone else, and Delowar, who works in Feni, posted an emotional message about her on Facebook. This angered Jerin’s relatives.
On Friday night Jerin’s relatives complained to Fazle Ali about the post at Battali Bazar. He told them the matter would be settled when Delowar came home.
But Jerin’s relatives then suddenly attacked him, punching and beating him. Local people took him, critically injured, to Noakhali General Hospital. When his condition worsened he was being taken to Dhaka, and he died on the way that night.
Police recovered the body and sent it to the Lakshmipur hospital morgue for a post-mortem.
The dead man’s son, Md Faisal, said Jerin’s relatives, led by her cousin Md Mahfuz, attacked and killed his father over a trivial Facebook post. “The attackers fled the area afterwards. Meanwhile, an influential group is trying to have the matter settled,” he said.
“I want justice for my father’s killing,” he said. He said the family was preparing to file a case at the police station, and demanded the swift arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved.
Mahfuz and the others accused could not be reached for comment, as they have gone into hiding.
Faridul Alam, officer in charge of Kamalnagar police station, said the body was recovered on Saturday morning (Oct. 24) and sent to Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital for a post-mortem. The victim’s family is preparing to file a case, he said, and police will investigate and take legal action, including arrests of those involved.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report