A leader of the Hijra community was found dead at her home in Chittagong city on Saturday, with police suspecting that she was strangled to death.
The deceased was Mohammad Mohsin, alias Mousumi Hijra, 52, who was known as a “guruma” among a section of the Hijra community in Chittagong. Police recovered her body from her home in the Hijra colony near Ambagan Railway Colony under Khulshi police station at around 10:30am.
Khulshi police station Sub-inspector Golam Mohammad Nasim said there were injury marks on Mousumi’s neck and the incident initially appeared to be a murder.
“After receiving the information, Mousumi’s body was recovered at around 10:30am. There are injury marks on her neck. Initially, it appears to be a murder. However, the actual cause of death can be confirmed after the post-mortem report is received,” he said.
Police said money kept at the house and two mobile phones used by Mousumi were also missing.
Police and several members of the local Hijra community said Mousumi lived alone at the house.
She had chatted with neighbors until around 2am on Saturday before going to sleep in her room.
In the early hours of Saturday, residents of an adjacent room heard what sounded like an argument coming from her room. However, they did not pay much attention, thinking she was talking to someone she knew.
As Mousumi did not wake up by 10am, neighbors went to call her. They found the door open and Mousumi lying on the bed in the bedroom, with blood coming from her mouth.
They later informed police.
Mousumi had a cattle farm behind her house. Police said one of the cows at the farm was sold on Friday and the money from the sale was with her.
She was also scheduled to go to buy cattle on Saturday morning. However, the money and the two mobile phones she used could not be found after the incident, police said.
After news of her death spread, members of the Hijra community from different parts of the city gathered at the scene and staged a protest, demanding that those involved in the killing be identified and brought to justice.
Several members of the local Hijra community alleged that Mousumi was deliberately killed.
Hijra Pakhi Rahman said she entered Mousumi’s room around 10am on Saturday and found blood coming from her mouth and her tongue sticking out.
“I then called everyone nearby. Later, police were informed. She was strangled to death. Those responsible must be brought to justice quickly,” she said.
Khulshi police station Officer-in-Charge Abdur Rahim told Dhaka Tribune that Mousumi was a leader of the Hijra community and that the incident was being investigated.
“The body has been sent to the morgue of Chittagong Medical College Hospital for an autopsy. The cause of death will be known after the report is received,” he said.
