A local UP member in Sreepur, Gazipur, has been accused of summoning a 60-year-old BNP leader to a public arbitration over allegations of child rape and subsequently beating him to death.
The deceased, Joynal Abedin, died on Monday, while undergoing treatment at Gazipur Shaheed Taj Uddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital. His family buried him at his home in Fawgan village on Tuesday evening, following an autopsy.
Joynal Abedin, son of the late Naimuddin of Fawgan village under Prahladpur Union, was the former senior vice-president of Ward No. 1 BNP in the union.
According to family members, the incident began on Saturday evening when UP member Rashidul Islam of Ward No. 1 allegedly accused Joynal Abedin of raping a seven-year-old child.
The child’s family has reportedly gone into hiding since the incident.
Anwar Hossain, son of the deceased, alleged that Rashidul Islam summoned his father to a school field near Fawgan Bazar under the guise of arbitration. There, in front of local residents, the UP member and his associates allegedly assaulted him repeatedly.
“He was beaten several times and left injured near a pharmacy in the market area,” Anwar said. “When we brought him home, the attackers returned and assaulted him again while also attacking our house.”
Another of the deceased, Monir Hossain, alleged that UP member Rashidul Islam attempted to kill his father by assaulting him severely, including squeezing his testicles during the attack. He said the victim was beaten multiple times and later admitted to Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital for treatment. The doctors declared him dead on Monday morning while he was undergoing treatment.
Local resident Sumon Mia stated that UP member Rashidul Islam called Joynal Abedin to the school grounds on a false allegation of rape, where he was allegedly beaten to death in front of onlookers. He added that residents are demanding justice and punishment for those involved.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Nasir Ahmed of Sreepur Police Station said that the deceased’s son, Anwar Hossain, filed a case on Wednesday afternoon. He added that the accused have been absconding since the incident and that police are conducting operations to arrest them.
