A madrasa cook was beaten to death and his female assistant seriously injured after an unidentified man allegedly attacked them with a wooden log when he was refused food at a madrasa in Rajbari district on Friday afternoon.
The incident took place around 2:15pm at Anjuman-e-Qaderia Madrasatu Sabi-il-Hasan Dakhil Madrasa in Daulatdia union of Goalanda upazila.
The deceased was identified as Fazel Ali Sardar, 70, a resident of Mallikpara village in Alipur union of Rajbari Sadar upazila. The injured woman, Sonaban Bibi, 65, is a resident of Daulatdia union.
According to local residents, Fazel Ali and Sonaban Bibi were serving lunch to madrasa hostel students after finishing cooking when an unidentified man approached the cook and asked for food.
After allegedly being refused, the man picked up a wooden log used for cooking and repeatedly struck Fazel Ali on the head and neck, killing him at the scene.
Sonaban Bibi was also attacked when she tried to intervene. Hearing their screams, worshippers at a nearby mosque and local residents rushed to the scene and detained the alleged attacker.
The victims were taken to Goalanda Upazila Health Complex, where the on-duty physician, Kaushik Hasan, declared Fazel Ali dead. Sonaban Bibi was later referred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital in critical condition.
Officer-in-Charge of Goalanda Ghat Police Station Shafiqul Islam said police recovered the body, completed the inquest and sent it to the morgue of Rajbari Sadar Hospital for an autopsy.
The detained man, believed by local residents to have a mental disability, was taken to Goalanda Upazila Health Complex for treatment under police supervision.
Moktar Hossain Bepari, president of the madrasa’s managing committee, said Fazel Ali had been working as the institution’s cook for around eight years, while Sonaban Bibi had served as his assistant for several years.
Renewed concerns over public safety
The killing comes amid broader public concern over law and order in Bangladesh, with reports of violent incidents and the recovery of bodies in different parts of the country raising questions about public safety and the effectiveness of law enforcement.
The incident has also highlighted the vulnerability of ordinary people, including elderly workers, in workplaces and public institutions. The attack inside a religious educational institution, where students were having lunch, has further heightened concerns among local residents.
Ensuring prompt investigations, bringing perpetrators to justice and strengthening preventive policing remain important to restoring public confidence in law enforcement.
Police have yet to disclose the identity of the detained man or establish the full circumstances behind the attack. Further investigation is expected to clarify the motive and circumstances of the killing.
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