A man hacked at 6 members of a family and killed a child. He then climbed a tree to escape

“With the help of locals, four trees were cut down and he was brought down after four hours,” a Fire Service official says

A man has hacked six members of a family, including women and children, with a sharp weapon in Patuakhali’s Dashmina Upazila. A child has died due to the attack.

Police arrested the man, who was brought down from a tree, after an incident on Thursday evening at Charhosnabad village in Bashbaria Union, said Dashmina Police Station chief Abdul Alim.

The arrestee, 30-year-old Sabuj Mridha, is the son of local resident Abu Mridha.

According to locals, he is a “drug addict” and “mentally unstable”.

The dead child has been identified as 8-year-old Safayet Hossain, the son of Jamal Hossain.

The others injured in the attack are Muhith Hasan, 8 and his mother Maryam, 28, Pancham Ali Sardar, 47, Babul Sardar, 47, and Nasima Begum, 32.

According to police and locals, Sabuj entered the house on Thursday evening, and started attacking anyone he could find with a sickle. Six people were seriously injured. Later, locals heard the screams of the injured and rushed to the scene to apprehend Sabuj. He then climbed a tree to escape.

Abu Bakkar Siddique, a member of Ward No. 3 of Bashbaria Union, said when the injured were taken to the Upazila health complex, doctors sent Safayet, Muhith Hasan, and his mother Maryam to Barishal’s Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in critical condition. Safayet died on the way.

Muhith and Maryam eventually arrived in Barishal. The rest of the injured are undergoing treatment at the Upazila health complex, he said.

Jamal Hossain, the father of Safayat, said: "My son died around the Bogha jetty area of Bauphal Upazila on the way to Barishal’s Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital."

"After the incident, Sabuj climbed a tree and injured himself on different parts of his hands and body with the sickle he used. That is why he is undergoing treatment at the Patuakhali Medical College Hospital under police custody."

Kabir Chowkidar, a resident of Charhosnabad village, said: "Sabuj aka Monir is a drug addict and has been mentally imbalanced for a long time.

“On Thursday evening, he hacked and injured six people, including men, women, and children in their house. Later, when locals chased him, he fled and climbed a tree.”

“Police and Fire Service personnel arrived and tried to get him down from the tree after the locals told them of the situation. Later, around 9:15pm, a local youth climbed the tree, grabbed Sabuj tightly, tied him to a rope and brought him down."

Safayet's uncle, Md Ansar Mridha, said: "We will take legal action. But it will take a while because my nephew's body has been taken to the Patuakhali Hospital morgue for an autopsy. Afterwards, we need to bury him."

Anwar Hossain, chief of the Dashmina Upazila Fire Service, said: "Sabuj Mridha took refuge on a 65 to 70-foot-tall Chambal tree. As there were a few trees next to each other, he hopped to from one tree to another.”

“Later four trees were cut down to get to him. After four hours of effort, he was brought down with the help of locals.”

OC Abdul Alim said that legal action will be taken over the incident if the family of the deceased child files a written complaint with the police station.