Hospital records list 'Road Accident'; family claims victim beaten to death
A leader of the former Workers' Union was allegedly beaten to death in a dispute over land and political rivalry in Gauripur, Mymensingh. The victim's family has accused a district-level Jubo Dal leader of carrying out the attack.
The victim died while undergoing treatment at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital early Wednesday (July 1).
The deceased, Manik Mia, 40, was the son of Ajibul Islam from the Bus Stand area of Gauripur municipality and a former vice-president of the Gauripur Upazila Workers' Union.
The accused, Suyeb Munshi, is the joint general secretary of the Mymensingh North District Jubo Dal. He denied the allegations, claiming the incident resulted from an internal dispute among drug traffickers.
According to the victim's younger brother, Sukh Mia, their family had long been involved in a land dispute with Suyeb Munshi's family. He also alleged that because their family had previously been associated with the Awami League, they were forced to leave the area several times after August 5, 2024. He further claimed that Suyeb Munshi had assaulted members of their family on previous occasions.
The family said that on the night of Tuesday (June 30), while Manik Mia was sitting in the Bus Stand area, Suyeb Munshi and 10 to 15 associates allegedly attacked him. After severely beating him, the attackers reportedly took him to the Satisha Road area and left him with his wife, Selina. Relatives later rescued him and took him first to Gauripur Upazila Health Complex and then to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, where he died early Wednesday.
The family also alleged that hospital authorities, under the influence of powerful individuals, recorded the incident as a "road accident" during admission. They claimed this was done to conceal the true nature of the incident and divert the investigation.
SI Jobayedul Haque of the police camp at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital said he had learned from the victim's relatives that Manik Mia had been assaulted. However, he said he did not know why the admission documents described the case as a road accident.
Hospital sources said that if the victim's family submits a written application to the hospital director, the admission records can be corrected following an investigation. The process may take four to five days.
Responding to the allegations, Mymensingh North District Jubo Dal Joint General Secretary Suyeb Munshi denied any involvement by himself or his associates.
"Neither I nor any of my associates had any involvement in this killing. The deceased and his family members were involved in drug trafficking, and the incident may have resulted from an internal dispute within the drug trade," he said.
Mymensingh North District Jubo Dal President Shamsul Haque said he was in Dhaka at the time of the incident.
"I have heard about the incident, but I do not want to comment without knowing the details," he said.
Gauripur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Habibur Rahman said Manik Mia's body had been handed over to the family after an autopsy. He added that the family had been asked to file a written complaint, and police would investigate the allegations and take legal action accordingly.