Businessman beaten to death in Old Dhaka over extortion: 2 held

A gruesome murder took place in the compound of Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital in Old Dhaka, where a local businessman named Chand Mia, also known as Sohag, was brutally beaten and hacked to death in broad daylight. The assailants even celebrated by jumping on his lifeless body—an act caught on CCTV footage that has since gone viral on social media.

Police have so far arrested two suspects—Mohin and Tarek—with Mohin identified as the prime accused. Authorities say all perpetrators have been identified from the video footage, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the rest.

The incident occurred around 6:00 PM on Wednesday (July 9) in front of Gate No. 3 of Mitford Hospital. The video shows two young men dragging a nearly naked, bloodied body outside. One punches the victim while the other jumps on him. Moments later, several more attackers arrive and kick and strike the lifeless body. Onlookers watched in shock but no one intervened.

The deceased, Sohag, was a scrap metal trader from Old Dhaka, originally from Sadar upazila in Barguna. He lived with his wife, daughter, and son in Model Town, Kadamtali, Keraniganj. According to the family, Sohag was lured away around noon that day by some acquaintances under the pretense of resolving a dispute. He was murdered later that evening.

Sohag’s wife Lucky Begum and niece Sadia Akter claimed that a local man named Mohin, who identified himself as a leader of the opposition youth group Jubo Dal, had been pressuring Sohag for a share of his business. When Sohag refused, threats were made, and shots were reportedly fired at his warehouse the day before the murder.

Eyewitnesses said Sohag was initially assaulted and dragged inside the hospital premises, where he pleaded with police for help. His attackers then struck his head with bricks and stones to ensure his death, before dumping the body in front of the hospital.

Following the incident, Sohag’s sister, Manjuara Begum, filed a murder case naming 19 individuals and listing another 15–20 as unidentified suspects. Among those arrested, Mahmudul Hasan Mohin and Tarek Rahman Robin were taken into custody. Police also recovered a firearm from Robin and filed a separate case under the Arms Act.

The case statement revealed that Sohag had long-standing disputes with the accused over business dominance. The murder was allegedly premeditated, involving repeated blows with bricks, iron rods, and cement blocks. He was stripped and his body was trampled on to ensure the brutality of the act.

Senior police officials expressed shock at the savagery of the incident. Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, S.N. Nazrul Islam, stated, “I have never seen such horror before. A segment of youth is becoming uncontrollable. The treatment of the blood-soaked body is beyond words.”

A leader from Jubo Dal’s Ward 30 unit under Dhaka South City Corporation said that neither Sohag nor Mohin was actively involved in political activities at the time of the incident, though they were previously associated with politics.