KHULNA, Bangladesh — A man was shot dead in Bangladesh’s southwestern Khulna district on Monday, about 50 days after his son was killed in the same area, police said, raising questions about a possible link between the two murders.
Akhtar Dhali was shot at around 6:45 p.m. in Durjanimahel village of Rupsha upazila, police said.
Dhali had been sitting with several local residents on a bench beside a tea stall near a mosque after evening prayers when gunshots were heard, according to police and local residents.
Family members and residents found him lying face down near the bench and took him to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
“We are investigating who carried out the attack and the motive behind it,” Rupsha police chief Anwar Zahid said. “We will also examine whether there is any connection between the two killings.”
Dhali’s son, Joy Dhali, was killed on Aug. 15 at Shaheed’s More in the same area. He was allegedly attacked with sharp weapons and had his throat slit, according to police. His mother, Nasima Begum, later filed a murder case naming 13 people.
The latest killing has caused concern among residents in the area. Police said 12 murder cases have been recorded in Rupsha upazila this year.
In Khulna district, 33 murder cases were reported between January and September, police said. Seven of those killings involved firearms.
According to police data, 11 of the 33 cases were linked to family disputes, three to drug-related conflicts, three to theft or robbery, two to disputes over local dominance and two to financial disputes. One case involved an alleged attack on government employees.
Police said they had solved 25 of the 33 cases.
The latest shooting came a day after a man was allegedly shot dead at a tea stall in Dighalia upazila by attackers who arrived on a motorcycle, according to police.
Investigators have begun efforts to identify and arrest those responsible for Dhali’s killing. His body was being prepared for an autopsy, police said.
COMMENTS