Lynch mob beats 2 to death after bomb attack in Bangladesh

Police say the attackers threatened a businessman and hurled cocktails before mob retaliation

Two men have been killed and several others injured in a mob beating following a bomb attack in Dhaka’s Kamrangirchar.

The incident occurred at the Sylheti Bazar area under Kamrangirchar Police Station on Wednesday night, police said.

The police station’s chief Amirul Islam told bdnews24.com that a local businessman had filed an extortion case around two months ago against several members of the “Picchi Monir group” based in the Chawkbazar area.

Police had arrested some of the accused, and one recently secured bail, he said.

According to the OC, the accused returned to the area around 10pm on Wednesday on three or four motorcycles and began threatening the complainant and demanding money again.

“When locals intervened, the group launched a cocktail attack,” said the officer.

“The sound of explosions rocked the neighbourhood and drew a larger crowd. Locals then surrounded the attackers and began beating them.”

When police arrived at the scene in an attempt to rescue the suspects, the angry mob also turned on the officers, said the OC.

"Two people died from the beating, and we’ve heard of multiple injuries," he said.

“The attackers hurled seven cocktails, of which three exploded. Police recovered four unexploded devices from the scene,” he added.

Inspector Sheikh Lutfar Rahman, the investigation officer at Kamrangirchar Police Station, confirmed that the two dead were Nadim and Masud, both identified with their first names and believed to be in their 30s.

The inspector said the extortion case and subsequent threats led to Wednesday night's incident.

“The suspects had been pressing the businessman to withdraw the case. Around four or five of them went to Sylheti Bazar to issue fresh threats. A quarrel broke out, and hearing the commotion, locals encircled them and launched a mob beating.”

“Masud died on the spot. Two others were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where we’ve been told one more has died. One remains under treatment, while the rest managed to flee,” he added.

“We’ve learnt all this from preliminary findings,” the inspector said.

“Further investigation is under way to determine if there were any additional motives behind the incident.”

Nadim’s body has been sent to the Dhaka Medical College morgue, while Masud’s remains were still at the scene.

Nadim was identified as the son of Sultan Miah of Lalbagh’s Shahidnagar.