Burial of mother, 2 children uncertain, no case filed yet

Even before public outrage could subside over the incident of a woman being stripped and tortured on video in Cumilla’s Muradnagar, yet another horrific event has shaken the nation. In the same upazila, a mother, her son, and daughter were brutally beaten to death by a mob in broad daylight. Shockingly, more than 24 hours after the murders, no case has been filed with the police.

When contacted on Friday, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bangra Bazar Police Station, Md Mahfuzur Rahman, confirmed the situation, stating, "We haven’t been able to reach any member of the victims' family. If no one comes forward, the police will file a case as the complainant."

On Thursday morning in Koribari village under Bangra Bazar Police Station of Muradnagar, locals accused Jewel Mia’s wife Rokhsana Akhter Ruby (58), her son Md. Russel (35), and daughter Jonaki Akhter (32) of drug dealing and mobile phone snatching. The three were lynched to death. Ruby’s younger daughter Ruma Akhter (25) was severely injured and is currently undergoing treatment at Cumilla Medical College Hospital (Cumilla Medical).

As of Friday afternoon, the post-mortems of the three deceased were completed. However, police remain unsure about who will receive the bodies or where and how they will be buried. No family member or relative has come forward to claim the corpses, leaving the burial arrangements in limbo.

According to local sources, no one is willing to speak publicly about the burial. A tense atmosphere prevails in Koribari and surrounding villages—shops remain closed, and the areas appear deserted.

Locals, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that after the murders, most of the male residents fled the area fearing arrest.

The local correspondent for Views Bangladesh visited the scene and found bloodstains, broken chairs, and torn clothes still scattered in front of Ruby’s house. Police have since been deployed to guard the premises.

Rahima Begum, a tenant at Ruby’s house, described the morning of the attack. She had hidden on the rooftop with her young son when hundreds of villagers surrounded the house around 9:30 am. When she was later brought down, she saw Russel's body at the base of the stairs, Ruby lying dead in the yard, and Jonaki's body on the street in front of the house. Ruma, injured, was rushed to the hospital.

Locals allege the family was involved in criminal activities including drug dealing, extortion, and land grabbing for years. Discontent had been brewing, and on Wednesday evening, villagers held an informal meeting at a local mosque, pledging to free the area from drugs.

Mohammad Mostafa, an elderly resident of the village, stated, “For 40 years, this family destroyed lives with drugs and terror. We finally said enough is enough.”

The immediate trigger reportedly came when Ruby’s son-in-law Monir Hossain allegedly snatched a mobile phone from local schoolteacher Ruhul Amin. When local Union Parishad member Bacchu Mia and Akabpur UP Chairman Shimul Billal went to Ruby’s home to investigate, they were attacked by the family. Soon after, a mob of over a hundred villagers descended on the house and lynched Ruby, Russel, and Jonaki.

Chairman Shimul Billal admitted, “They attacked us. We left to avoid further conflict. Later, the villagers retaliated. But no matter the provocation, taking lives is never justifiable.”

Several local youths told Views Bangladesh that such an attack would not have been possible without the backing of powerful local leaders. They believe public representatives directly or indirectly instigated the killings.

An eyewitness, Safir Uddin, said, “People had been planning this for a while. It was just a matter of when.”

Russel's wife, Meem Akhter, claimed that her husband had received death threats the night before the incident.

An elderly neighbor, weeping, said, “Yes, they did wrong. But did anyone stop to think—they were still human?”

Raju, a local anti-drug activist, stated, “Our youth once carried yaba and phensedyl in their pockets. We tolerated it for years. But killing people over drugs—this cannot be justified.”

College student Mim added, “A stolen phone might have led to some beating—but killing three people? That’s too much.”

The community is now divided. While some justify the killings as the result of pent-up anger, most residents find the violence deeply disturbing. They argue that such incidents are not isolated but part of a broader breakdown in law and order, exacerbated by impunity and administrative failure.

When Views Bangladesh visited Muradnagar on July 2, just a day before the killings, unrest was already palpable. Mob violence, often framed as vigilante justice, seemed to be increasingly normalized in the region, under the shadow of local power dynamics.

Locals like Sabur Mia shared their fears. “I don’t feel safe living in this village anymore. There’s no law and order. I have two daughters. My eldest is sitting for her HSC exams, and I can’t rest until she’s safely home every day.”

CNG driver Bashir Ahmed expressed deep frustration: “You journalists come from Dhaka, report on a big story, and leave. But what about all the other untold stories? Doesn’t anyone care?”

He added, “Even minor disputes turn violent in my CNG every day. Without better law enforcement, things will only get worse.”

Bashir, 55, said he is never seen such chaos in his lifetime. Just a week ago, in the same upazila, a woman was stripped and publicly beaten—her video circulated on Facebook. Despite these viral incidents, locals claim police remain passive and ineffective.

Residents said that if one visits Muradnagar, many such stories will surface—most not leading to death or media coverage, but they still leave communities traumatized.

Many believe this is the cumulative explosion of more than a decade of political frustration and neglect. According to locals and community leaders, social decay, impunity, and administrative failure are fueling this transformation of frustration into mass violence.

Cumilla Superintendent of Police, Nazir Ahmed Khan, told Views Bangladesh, “We’re taking the law and order situation here very seriously. If anyone commits a crime, they should be handed over to law enforcement—not lynched. Everyone involved in this crime will face justice.”

Incidents of mob lynching have been alarmingly on the rise across the country. According to media reports, 172 people were killed in mob violence over the past year—57 in June 2025 alone. Locals say the brutal killing of this family in Muradnagar is just the latest in that grim trend.

Authorities said they are investigating and promise to bring the perpetrators to justice.