A 27-year-old man from Bangladesh’s indigenous Santal community was allegedly beaten to death during an informal village arbitration over a theft accusation in the northern district of Bogura, police and family members said Saturday.
The victim, Ripon Murmu, belonged to one of Bangladesh’s ethnic and religious minority communities. His body was recovered Saturday, Oct. 10, from a brick kiln in Chanpara village under Lahiripara Union of Bogura Sadar Upazila, a day after he was allegedly assaulted.
Ripon was the son of Mosej Murmu of Belowa Bamanpara village in Ghoraghat Upazila, Dinajpur district. He had worked at a brick kiln owned by Akter Rahman Duke for several years and also served as a night guard at a welding workshop owned by local businessman Rezaul Karim.
Beaten During Village Arbitration
According to police and the victim’s family, a welding machine was stolen from Rezaul’s workshop Thursday night, Oct. 8.
The following morning, Rezaul and Selim, the son of a former local union council chairman, reportedly convened an informal arbitration meeting, locally known as a salish, to investigate the theft.
Ripon was accused of involvement and allegedly beaten during the proceedings.
Family members said another local man, identified as Kalu, was subsequently implicated in the theft. Ripon was ordered to locate him, recover the missing machine and pay a fine of Tk20,000 ($165 approximately).
Relatives alleged that Ripon became seriously ill following the assault and died later Friday.
Family Refuses to Accept Body
Instead of informing police immediately, Rezaul and Selim allegedly arranged for Ripon’s body to be transported by ambulance to his family’s home in Dinajpur on Friday night.
However, family members refused to accept the body after noticing suspicious injuries.
Ambulance driver Siam Ahmed said he was contacted Friday night by Selim and instructed to transport Ripon’s body to his village.
After the family refused to receive it, the driver returned to Bogura with the body Saturday morning.
Robiul Islam, a member of Palsha Union Parishad in Ghoraghat, said he became suspicious after learning that Ripon’s body had arrived without a clear explanation of his death.
He contacted police in Bogura and Ghoraghat and subsequently accompanied Ripon’s father to the brick kiln.
Ripon’s father said he noticed visible injuries on his son’s eyes, hands and waist.
“My son was beaten during an arbitration over the alleged theft of a welding machine. Later that night, his body was sent home in an ambulance,” he told journalists.
The family said it would file a murder case after the autopsy.
Police Investigate Alleged Killing
Bogura Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ibrahim Ali said preliminary inquiries indicated that Ripon had been assaulted by local residents Friday morning over the theft allegation.
Police recovered his body Saturday and sent it to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital for an autopsy.
Investigating officer Mahfuz Alam said the postmortem examination would help establish the cause of death.
Police said no written complaint had been received as of Saturday evening and that legal action would follow an investigation.
No arrests had been reported.
The allegations have drawn attention to the dangers of extrajudicial punishment through informal village arbitration, particularly for vulnerable members of Bangladesh’s indigenous minority communities.
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