Dhaka: A Hindu businessman was beaten to death in Bangladesh’s Gazipur district following a dispute over bananas, with police detaining three members of a family in connection with the incident, local media reported.
The killing took place on Saturday in the Kaliganj area of Gazipur. It has not been confirmed whether the incident is linked to the recent spate of violence against Hindus reported in parts of Bangladesh.
The deceased has been identified as Liton Chandra Ghosh (55), owner of ‘Baishakhi Sweetmeat and Hotel’, according to a report in The Daily Star.
Zakir Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Kaliganj Police Station, said three members of a family, Swapan Mia (55), his wife Majeda Khatun (45), and their son Masum Mia (28) have been detained for their suspected involvement in the killing.
Police said Masum owns a banana plantation and noticed that a bunch of bananas had gone missing. While searching for them, he allegedly spotted the bananas at Liton’s hotel, which led to an argument between the two parties.
“The accused punched and kicked Liton, causing him to fall to the ground and die on the spot,” police said.
According to Liton’s family, Masum arrived at the hotel around 11 am and initially had an argument with a hotel employee over a trivial matter. Later, Masum’s parents also came to the spot, and the dispute escalated into a physical fight.
Police said an investigation is underway to ascertain further details surrounding the incident.
With PTI inputs