A local BNP leader and journalist was hacked to death in Bagerhat’s Harikhali area on Friday evening.
The victim, Hayat Uddin, 42, had recently contested for the position of organising secretary of Bagerhat Municipality BNP but lost. He also worked as the district correspondent for the Daily Bhorer Chetona.
Officer-in-Charge of Bagerhat Model Police Station Mahmud-ul-Hasan confirmed the incident, saying police teams had been dispatched to the area and an investigation into the motive was underway.
According to witnesses, Hayat Uddin was at a tea stall near Harikhali Government Primary School intersection around 6:30pm when a group of attackers struck him with sharp weapons. He was critically injured and later died at Khulna Medical College Hospital.
Police identified the prime suspect as Md Israil Molla, a resident of Harikhali and son of Md Abdus Salam Molla. Israil is reportedly a BNP activist and serves as the organisational secretary of the National Human Rights and Health Care Society’s Bagerhat district unit.
“Initially, we believe Israil Molla carried out the attack using sharp weapons and a hammer. Efforts are underway to arrest him, and we are investigating whether others were involved,” said Md Shamim Hasan, additional superintendent of police for Bagerhat Sadar Circle.
He added that the dispute may have been linked to drugs. The body of the deceased has been kept at Khulna Medical College Hospital.
