A 55-year-old man’s body was recovered from the Tegachia River in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali 27 hours after he went missing while allegedly fleeing officials of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC).
The deceased, Nurul Islam Gazi, was a resident of Rahmatpur in the municipal town and earned his living by selling stones and rings on the roadside. His body was found floating in the river around 3pm on Saturday.
Khepupara Fire Service Station In-Charge Abul Hossain said a rescue operation was launched in the morning, leading to the recovery of Nurul’s body. It has been handed over to the Payra port river police.
According to Nurul’s daughter, Rupa, her father was sitting in an autorickshaw in the Badurtali area on Friday afternoon when DNC officials arrested the driver for possession of drugs. She said the officials also searched Nurul, and when no drugs were found, they allegedly chased him. In an attempt to escape, he jumped into the river and went missing.
Kalapara DNC In-Charge Shahnul Kabir, however, denied any involvement in the incident.
