Mystery shrouded centring the death of a private university student who succumbed to burn injuries early yesterday in the capital.
His roommates at a mess in Dakkhinkhan area said the victim, Shohag Mia, 26, was burnt when he had come into close contact of an electric wire on the rooftop on April 18 morning.
Police believed the roommates’ version but were analysing other possible reasons.
It is learnt that the wire was at least nine feet far from the edges of the rooftop.
The father of the victim, however, said Shohag was burnt while sleeping in his room and accused the roommates of setting him on fire.
Mohammad Saiful, sub-inspector of Dakkhinkhan police station, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We sent the body for a post mortem examination as the victim’s father filed a complaint with us. We are looking for the roommates as they went into hiding soon after the incident.”
Shohagh was a BBA final year student at Queens University in the capital. He hails from Herondopara of Delghor of Tangail. He is the son of Abdus Salam, a tea stall owner.
“Shohagh Mia died with 80% burn injury. His respiratory system was also damaged from the burns,” Dr Iqbal Ahmed, registrar of the burn and plastic surgery unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told the Dhaka Tribune.
Salam told the Dhaka Tribune that he used to send hard-earned money to his son for studies. Shohagh was the eldest among six children.
While undergoing treatment, Shohagh told him in low voice that his two roommates Sarowar and Mehedi along with house owner Khorshed Alam had gone for a walk at a nearby rail track in the night of April 17 and stayed there until 3am.
Later he came back home and slept until 10am when he felt that his body was burning. Hearing him screaming, Sarowar and Mehedi came and took him to a clinic in Uttara area, Salam said.
The father came to Dhaka hearing the incident and paid Tk59,000 as hospital bill. “I admitted my son to Dhaka Medical College Hospital at 9pm on April 19. But he died while undergoing treatment.”
Although Shohag’s body was caught fire while sleeping, his roommates claimed that he had been burnt on the rooftop as he came into close contact of an electric wire. “I filed a case with Dakkhinkhan police soon after the incident but the police also said same version as they took huge money from them.”
