A man has allegedly stabbed his 40-year-old maternal uncle to death in Comilla’s Muradnagar over a romantic rivalry involving the same woman.
Police arrested the accused Milon alias Shipon Mia, 23, on Sunday.
The murder took place around 10:00pm on Saturday in Korerpar village under Bangra Bazar Police Station in Muradnagar.
The deceased, Masud Mia, was the son of late Hasan Ali of Korerpar village and ran a scrap business in the area. Shipon is the son of Anis Mia of Kurbanpur village in the same upazila.
According to police and local sources, Masud went to a grocery shop beside his business on Saturday night, where Shipon called him away. A short distance from the shop, Shipon allegedly stabbed his uncle repeatedly.
Hearing the sounds of a scuffle, nearby residents rushed to the scene, prompting Shipon to flee. Masud died on the spot from excessive blood loss.
Family members said Masud’s wife left him around five years ago, leaving behind their three children. Since then, he had been spending his nights at his scrap shop.
About two years ago, Masud developed a romantic relationship over the phone with a widow from a village in Srikail union of Muradnagar. The woman has two children.
Delowara Begum, the wife of Masud’s elder brother, said Shipon learned about the relationship and secretly obtained the woman’s phone number from his uncle. He later became involved with the same woman, leading to a dispute between the two.
About 15 days ago, Shipon allegedly accused Masud of drug use in an attempt to strengthen his own relationship with the woman. After learning about the accusation, Masud beat Shipon on October 20.
Family members suspect the killing was motivated by the ensuing dispute.
Meanwhile, local residents staged a demonstration on Sunday morning, demanding Shipon’s arrest and the maximum punishment for the killing.
Masud’s sister, Sufia Begum, filed a murder case with Bangra Bazar Police Station on Sunday afternoon.
Md Anwar Hossain, inspector (investigation) at the police station, said the preliminary investigation suggested that the murder stemmed from a dispute over the relationship with the same woman.
Police recovered Masud’s body from the scene and sent it to a morgue, he said.
Shipon was arrested during a drive in the Kuti Bhangannagar area under Kasba Police Station on Sunday afternoon. Police also recovered the knife allegedly used in the murder based on information provided by the accused, Anwar added.
