Body of temple priest found hanging 3 days after disappearance

The body of a Hindu temple priest (shebait), who had been missing for three days, was recovered from a hilly area in Cox's Bazar's Sadar upazila on Wednesday, April 22.

The deceased was identified as Nayan Dash, 35, a priest of the Nag Panchami temple in the Purba Hamjar Deil area of Khurushkul union.

According to police and local sources, Nayan Dash was called out of his home by unidentified individuals around 9:00 pm on April 19 and did not return. A general diary was filed by his family at the Sadar Model Police Station the following day.

Around noon on Wednesday, a group of 30-35 locals searching the remote hills east of the temple spotted his body hanging from a tree with a cloth tied around his neck.

Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station OC Mohammad Chhamiuddin confirmed that the body was recovered and sent to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital for autopsy. He stated that whether it was a murder or suicide can only be determined after receiving the post-mortem report.

Security footage from the area is being reviewed, and police are working to identify those involved.