Jashore shopkeeper killed with machete as angry crowd beats ‘assailant’ to death

Police say locals beat Palash after he attacked Rafiqul over a land dispute

A shop owner has been hacked to death in Chougachha Upazila, Jashore, over a “land dispute”, while the alleged attacker has been killed in a subsequent “mob” beating.

The incident occurred around 2:30pm on Tuesday, according to Chougachha Police chief Rezaul Karim.

The shopkeeper, Rafiqul Islam, 35, sold groceries in Solua Bazar.

Officer Karim said, “Rafiqul had recently purchased land from Palash, who had later registered the same plot under his mother and sister.

“This led to a dispute between them. Around 2:30pm, as Rafiqul was heading to his shop past the local college, Palash attacked him with a machete, fatally injuring him. Locals, enraged, beat Palash, killing him at the scene.”

Rafiqul was rushed to Jashore General Hospital at 3pm.

Doctors recommended transferring him to Dhaka, but he died en route in Narail around 4:30pm. His body was returned to Jashore General Hospital by relatives around 6pm.

Bichitra Mallik, an emergency doctor at Jashore General Hospital, said Palash was already dead when police brought him in. Rafiqul’s body was sent to the morgue.