Bangladeshi migrant worker returns home from Italy - in a casket

Family urges Bangladesh and Italy to cooperate in securing justice over the killing

The body of a Bangladeshi migrant who was killed in Italy has returned to his home in Madaripur’s Rajoir, 73 days after the murder.

On Friday at 4pm, the vehicle carrying the remains of Sagar Bala arrived in Pakhulla, where relatives broke down in tears and the village was enveloped in grief.

Relatives and villagers said Sagar, the son of farmer Kumod Bala, had travelled to Italy via the Mediterranean Sea around two and a half years ago and had been working at a restaurant there for the past two years. He went missing on Sept 25.

Eight days after he disappeared, on Sept 23, Italian police recovered his dismembered body from inside a park. The body was found concealed in a black bag.

Family members said they learned that Sagar was stabbed to death while working at a restaurant in Spoleto in Italy’s Perugia.

Sagar’s uncle, Suresh Mondal, said he had filed a case over the murder and requested cooperation from both the Bangladesh and Italian governments to secure justice.

Sagar’s father said Italian police collected necessary evidence, CCTV footage and conducted searches at multiple locations.

Police also recovered an electric bicycle used by Sagar near the scene. He, too, urged the government to assist in pursuing justice for his son.