A retired Bangladesh Army soldier who disappeared after leaving home on a work-related trip was found dead in a tree near a riverside cemetery in northeastern Bangladesh on Friday, two days after his family reported him missing.
The family of Fazlur Rahim Kajal, 55, alleges that an unidentified caller demanded Tk 30,000 (approximately $245) in ransom following his disappearance. Relatives suspect he was murdered and his body placed in the tree to conceal the crime.
Police have not established whether Kajal was killed or died by suicide.
His body was discovered Friday morning, Oct. 9, in a wooded area beside the Kangsha River in Birampur village of Mohanganj Upazila, Netrokona district, approximately 170 kilometers northeast of Dhaka.
Kajal, also known as Kajal Mia, was a former army serviceman who had been working at a solar power project in neighboring Sunamganj district after his retirement.
Family Alleges Ransom Demand
According to family members, Kajal left his home in Dharmapasha Upazila, Sunamganj, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, for work connected to the solar power project.
His elder brother, Fazlul Karim Bulbul, said Kajal had planned to visit a bank to withdraw money for the project.
However, the family could not confirm whether he had completed the transaction.
Kajal was last contacted around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Subsequent attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.
Concerned relatives searched for him and reported his disappearance to police that night.
Family members told local news outlets that an unidentified person subsequently contacted them by telephone and demanded Tk 30,000 in ransom.
They suspect the demand was connected to Kajal’s disappearance and death.
However, police have not publicly confirmed the ransom allegation or established whether the caller was involved in his death.
Body Found Near Cemetery
On Friday morning, a local resident tending cattle near the Kangsha River noticed a foul smell coming from a wooded area behind Chowdhury Bari in Birampur Uttarpara.
Following the smell, the resident discovered a man’s body in a tree near a cemetery.
Other villagers gathered at the scene and alerted police.
Officers from Mohanganj Police Station arrived and recovered the body, which was subsequently identified as Kajal.
A rope was found around his neck.
Accounts of the body’s position differ. Some reports described it as hanging from a branch, while others said it was resting against a high branch with a rope attached.
The distinction has become central to the family’s suspicions about the circumstances of his death.
Police prepared an initial examination report and sent the body to Netrokona Sadar Hospital for an autopsy.
Brother Rejects Suicide Possibility
Kajal’s elder brother, Fazlul Karim Bulbul, said the family believes his death was a planned killing.
“My brother left home on October 7 to withdraw money from a bank. We have not been able to establish whether he withdrew the money,” Bulbul said.
“We do not believe this was suicide. We suspect it was a planned murder.”
He also disputed descriptions of the body as hanging freely from the tree.
“His body was resting against a branch, not hanging,” he said.
Another relative, Rony Mia, alleged that unidentified criminals had strangled Kajal before tying his body to the tree.
The relatives demanded a thorough investigation and punishment for anyone found responsible.
Their allegations have not been independently established.
Police Await Autopsy Findings
Mohanganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Hafizul Islam Harun confirmed that police had recovered the body and launched an investigation.
He said officers found no obvious major injuries on Kajal’s body and that his clothing did not appear significantly disturbed.
However, those observations do not establish the cause of death.
“The body has been sent to Netrokona Sadar Hospital for an autopsy. The actual cause of death will be known after the report is received,” the officer said.
Police have not announced any arrests or identified suspects.
Investigators have also not publicly established whether Kajal withdrew money before disappearing or whether the alleged ransom demand was connected to his death.
Family Seeks Answers
Kajal was the son of the late Joban Ali of Katiam village under Selbarash Union in Dharmapasha, Sunamganj.
He had retired from the Bangladesh Army approximately two years earlier.
Reports differ on his position at the solar power project, describing him as either a manager or an accountant.
He is survived by his wife and two sons. His elder son serves in the police force.
For the family, the discovery of his body ended two days of uncertainty but raised further questions about what happened after he left home Wednesday.
They want investigators to establish whether he reached the bank, identify the person who allegedly demanded ransom and determine how his body came to be in the tree.
Police say the autopsy and further investigation will help establish the circumstances of his death.
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