Family alleges BGB tortured Panchagarh man to death

Several members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been accused of torturing a cattle trader to death along the Boroshishi border in Panchagarh. The victim Majom Ali, 40, son of Mansur Ali, of Nurpara union in Panchagarh, was picked up and tortured by the BGB members led by Lutfar Rahman on Friday night, alleged the victim's family. They said the BGB members detained Majom from his home on charge of cattle smuggling on Friday evening, and demanded ransom. Majom’s younger brother Solemon Ali said he gave a cow to the BGB men to free his brother. But Majom died on the way back, he added. Rabiul Islam, a local union parishad (UP) member, said: “I saw Majom clutching the feet of the BGB members, pleading for mercy even as they kept torturing him. I begged them, they did not even as much as glance at me.” Locals also witnessed the incident, said Rabiul, demanding that the accused BGB members be brought to book and punished harshly. Boda police station's Officer-in-Charge Abu Sayem said an unnatural death case has been filed over the death. “If the victim’s family files a case, we will register it and take action after receiving the post-mortem report,” he said Police earlier sent Majom's body to Panchagarh Sadar Hospital for post-mortem.