Child, 10, killed with crowbar in Barguna over fish theft allegation

As Bangladesh reels under the grisly murders of two children in Sylhet and Khulna, news of a 10-year-old being brutally murdered with crowbar blows to the head in Barguna has surfaced.

The body of Rabiul Awal, a fourth grade student of Farazi Barhi Dakhil Madrasa, was recovered on Tuesday afternoon from Lutrar Canal of Amkhola village of Taltali Upazila’s Sonakata Union, where he lived.

Locals informed his family after finding the body and police recovered it in presence of his father Dulal Mridha.

Awal’s family suspect their neighbour ‘Miraz’ for the murder and started a case against him on Wednesday afternoon with Taltali police. 

Police have detained prime suspect Miraz. 

Mridha said Miraz suspected Awal stole fish from his nets in the canal and threatened to kill him a few days back. 

Awal’s cousin ‘Sahida’ said, “Rabiul reportedly went to remove fish from the net. Miraz hit him with a crowbar in the head, bashing one of his eyes and taking out half of the forehead.”

Barguna’s Superintendent of Police Bijoy Basak said, “We will find out the details after questioning the accused.”

On July 8, in Sylhet, 13-year-old Samiul Alam Rajan was beaten to death with a metal rod on allegations of theft. His killers filmed the torture and released it on the social media, causing outrage.  

Just as the furore was ebbing, 12-year-old Md Rakib was killed for allegedly going to work for his former employer’s competitors. 

The former employer pumped air into his rectum, causing bloating and bleeding of internal organs leading to the death.