Widespread shock has followed the murder of Lal Chand, also known as Sohag, 39, in front of Mitford Hospital in Dhaka.
A blood-stained chunk of broken concrete left at the scene stands as a chilling, silent witness to the incident.
Crowds of curious onlookers continued to gather near gate No 3 of the hospital on Sunday, alongside a number of journalists.
However, nearby shopkeepers and pedestrians are unwilling to speak about what transpired.
During a visit to the scene, this reporter attempted to speak with several individuals, but none were willing to comment.
Most said that they were not there at the time and that they did not see anything.
A sense of fear lingers both inside and outside the hospital premises—no one dares to speak openly.
Walking left from the hospital, one comes across Sohag’s scrap shop, now locked and shuttered.
Arman, a neighbouring shopkeeper, said: “Sohag took over this shop around three months ago. We did not talk much. From a distance, he seemed like a decent person. I knew his family lived in the village.”
Other shopkeepers also remained tight-lipped, all giving the same answer that they weren’t present during the incident and didn’t know anything.
While locals largely refrained from speaking, Azim from Postogola said: “I came after seeing the video on Facebook. It was extremely disturbing. I can not believe such a brutal act took place in public and no one intervened!”
He added: “I strongly condemn the murder and demand punishment for the killers. If this murder goes unpunished, such crimes will continue.”
Around 6pm on Wednesday, a group of assailants attacked Sohag in front of gate No 3 of Mitford Hospital.
He was repeatedly beaten and hacked, dragged from inside the gate to the outside, and brutally killed.
Kotwali police quickly arrived on the scene, brought the situation under control, and sent the body to the morgue for post-mortem examination.
The victim’s elder sister later filed a murder case at Kotwali police station against 19 individuals.
The Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police announced that two more named accused were arrested in Netrokona on Sunday. The arrested are Sajib Bepari, 27, and Md Rajib Bepari, 25.
According to detective sources, acting on a tip-off, a team from the DB Uttara Division conducted a raid in Netrokona at approximately 3:35am and apprehended the two.
Earlier, police and RAB had arrested five suspects in connection with the incident.
Including the two newly arrested, a total of seven individuals are now in custody.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, the investigating officer, Nasir Uddin, said: “This is a complex and sensitive case. A wide-ranging investigation is underway under high-level directives. We hope to apprehend the remaining accused soon and ensure exemplary punishment.”
Asked for her response, Sohag’s elder sister Manjuara told Dhaka Tribune: “We hope the police will arrest all the remaining accused urgently and ensure they are given the death penalty, so that no one in this country dares to carry out such killings again.”