School teacher Manoranjan beaten to death at meeting to settle road dispute

Manoranjan Roy, 55, assistant headteacher of Sukhdebpur Government Primary School in Parbatipur, has allegedly been beaten to death during a reconciliation meeting over a road dispute in Parbatipur upazila of Dinajpur. Police have detained one person on suspicion of involvement in the incident.

Abdul Wadud, officer-in-charge (OC) of Parbatipur Model Police Station, said the incident took place in Mollapara village under Belaichandi Union of the upazila around 2:30pm on Sunday.

Manoranjan Roy was a resident of Sonapukur village in neighbouring Chirirbandar upazila. Asaduzzaman, 32, who has been detained, lives in Mollapara village.

According to police, Asaduzzaman's family had been in a dispute over a road adjacent to the residence of the late Azizul Master in Mollapara village. A reconciliation meeting between the two parties was held on Sunday afternoon to settle the dispute over the land and the road. Manoranjan Roy attended the meeting as a respected figure of the area.

At one stage of the meeting, a heated argument broke out between the two sides. Manoranjan tried to calm both parties at the time. It is alleged that Asaduzzaman and his men then beat him indiscriminately with sticks. He died on the spot from the severe injuries.

OC Abdul Wadud said police rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control after receiving a call to the national emergency service 999. Asaduzzaman has been detained on suspicion of involvement in the incident.

The body has been sent to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital for an autopsy. Legal procedures in connection with the incident are under way.