Autorickshaw driver beaten to death by Argentina fans

A battery-powered autorickshaw driver has been beaten to death by some young Argentina supporters over a trivial argument while watching the Argentina-Egypt World Cup football match on television in Cumilla.

The incident took place at Mohsin Mia's tea shop in Dhanpur area of ​​Durgapur union of Adarsh ​​Sadar upazila around 12 midnight on Tuesday (July 7).

The deceased, Shariful Islam, is a resident of Uttar Cheranga village in Jaldhaka upazila of Nilphamari. He came to Cumilla with his wife Beauty Banu and two daughters about eight months ago in search of work and lived in a rented house in Mathapushkaroni area of ​​ward number 23 of the city. Shariful's family was the only breadwinner in the family, driving an autorickshaw (mixer).

Eyewitnesses said that Shariful was watching the game with many people at Mohsin Mia's shop on Tuesday night. He was supporting Egypt in that match, although he is primarily a Brazil supporter. When Messi missed a penalty at the beginning of the match, Shariful made a comment by 'shocking' an Argentine fan. When an argument broke out over this, some young people started beating him there. Shariful took refuge in a nearby mess to save his life, but he was beaten there too. He then collapsed on the ground in front of a shop. When he was taken to the hospital, the doctors declared him dead.

Beauty Banu is repeatedly fainting after her husband's death. While wailing, she was saying, a man was killed like this over a game; her two daughters have become orphans, now whom will she call father? She demanded strict justice for her husband's killers.

Shariful's two daughters were studying in Nilphamari - the elder daughter is in sixth grade, the younger daughter is in fifth grade. Shariful had wanted to get the girls admitted to a school in Cumilla; that hope was not fulfilled.

After the autopsy at Cumilla Medical College Hospital on Wednesday, the police handed over Shariful's body to his relatives in the afternoon. However, no case had been filed with the Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station in this incident till 5 pm; no one had been arrested.

Sub-Inspector Sankar Kanti Das, in-charge of the Cantonment Police Outpost of Kotwali Model Police Station, said that the family members have said that they will decide among themselves who the plaintiff is and file a case. Efforts are underway to arrest the involved parties.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kotwali Model Police Station Touhidul Anwar said that initially it was learned that the involved parties were young people of the area. Shariful was hit on the head during a brawl during the game. When he was taken to the hospital, the doctor declared him dead. The police are trying to arrest the involved parties.

It is worth noting that Argentina reached the quarter-finals by defeating Egypt 3-2 in the last 16 match of the World Cup on Tuesday night.