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Published : 30 Jun 2025, 03:58 PM
A 19-year-old worker has been beaten to death inside a factory in Gazipur after being accused of theft, sparking widespread protests and forcing the owners to declare an abrupt shutdown.
The management of Greenland Limited in Gazipur’s Konabari announced the closure following the circulation of a video on social media showing the brutal torture of the worker.
The worker has been identified by a single name as Hridoy, the son of Abul Kalam from Suktara Baid village in Ghatail Upazila of Tangail. He worked as a mechanical technician at the factory.
On Monday, Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent AKM Zahirul Islam said the factory has been declared closed for two days following the incident. It may reopen on Tuesday, the authorities have informed the police.
According to a case filed by the victim’s family, Hridoy was beaten to death inside the factory early on Saturday morning.
The incident led to demonstrations by workers in front of the factory and the surrounding areas later that day. Workers alleged that the factory authorities had initially tried to cover up the killing.
On Saturday night, Hridoy’s elder brother, Liton Mia, filed a murder case with Konabari police against unnamed individuals.
Police arrested one suspect, Hasan Mahmud, on Sunday. He is also a worker at Greenland Limited.
A one-minute-sixteen-second video showing the assault went viral on Facebook.
The footage shows Hridoy, stripped to the waist and bound with ropes to a window in a factory room, seated on a sofa, writhing in pain. At one point, blood drips from his nose and mouth and his jeans are stained by it.
Voices in the background can be heard saying: “He was beaten so badly, but he hasn’t died.”
In another segment of the video, Hridoy, still bound, is seen being dragged out of a room by several men, one of them holding a wooden stick.
Hridoy’s hands are tied behind his back, and his feet are also bound with rope. Though they try to make him stand, he appears too weak to do so.
Police said, citing the case details, that after Hridoy failed to return home following his shift, his brother and mother went to the factory on Saturday afternoon.
There they encountered a protest by workers and were informed that Hridoy had been killed over allegations of theft, police said.
In protest, a highway blockade was staged by workers. When the family asked about Hridoy’s body, they were told it was at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital, where they identified it.
“My brother was brutally beaten and killed inside Greenland Limited,” said Liton Mia. “They then tried to mislead us by quietly sending his body to the hospital. We want justice for his murder.”
Konabari police chief Salahuddin said all those involved in the killing would be identified.
“We’ve already arrested one individual, and raids are ongoing to apprehend the others.”
He added that after the incident, the factory authorities issued a notice declaring an indefinite shutdown.
Repeated calls to Greenland Limited’s Deputy General Manager Kamrul Hasan for comment went unanswered.
