Ansar members accused of beating youth to death over theft suspicion at BTCL office

Ansar members on duty have been accused of beating an unidentified youth to death on suspicion of theft at the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) office in Tejgaon, the capital. The incident occurred around 7:30am on Tuesday (September 8).

The youth was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in an unconscious state, where doctors declared him dead around 3:30pm. He was around 25 years old and was wearing a black T-shirt and black trousers.

BTCL office assistant Md Saiful Islam said the youth had climbed over the wall to enter the office premises in the morning. Sensing this, Ansar members detained him, then tied him up and beat him. At one point he became unconscious, after which he was sent to the hospital in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw. However, no Ansar member accompanied him to the hospital.

Saikat Ali, who brought the youth to the hospital and identified himself as a former platoon commander (PC) of Ansar, said the youth, along with two or three others, had climbed over the wall intending to steal. On sensing this, the on-duty Ansar members chased them, during which the youth struck an Ansar member with a stick. The others fled, but he was caught.

Saikat Ali said that after being detained, the youth was taken to the Ansar camp, tied up and beaten. At one point he became unconscious and was sent to the hospital. However, he claimed he himself was not involved in the beating, and alleged that theft incidents occur regularly at the office.

Md Habibur Rahman, in-charge (inspector) of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital police camp, said the youth's body has been kept in the hospital morgue for post-mortem examination. There are marks of injury on his body, and the matter has been informed to Tejgaon Industrial Area police station.

Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Tejgaon Industrial Area police station, said police have inspected the scene, and efforts are underway to verify the incident by analysing CCTV footage.

Najmus Sakib, assistant director and public relations officer of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party, said work is underway on the allegation, and details will be shared later through an official statement.