BIWTA employee found ‘lynched’ in car workshop

Police suspect the garage workers thought he was a thief

Police have recovered a Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) employee from a car repair garage in Dhaka’s Jatrabari, suspecting he was beaten to death by locals who mistook him for a thief.

The dead, identified as Anwar Hossain Babu, 43, worked as an electrician at BIWTA’s Sadarghat office.

Officers from Jatrabari Police said he was found with hands and feet tied on Friday morning.

“We learned that the dead was a drug addict and had been in a rehabilitation centre earlier,” said Jatrabari Police chief Kamruzzaman Talukder.

“We suspect that when he entered the garage, the workers there might have thought he was a thief and beat him to death.”

The incident took place around 6:30am, and the body was recovered around 11am after police were informed by family members.

It was later sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Kamruzzaman added that several people have been detained for questioning.

“The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem. We will take steps once the family decides on filing a case,” he said.

Anwar lived in Matuail with his wife and two children. He had left home early Friday morning before being found dead.

Police said his body bore multiple injury marks.