Mob beats 3 of a family dead in their own home

A mob beat three members of a family to death  and left another injured in Cumilla's Muradnagar upazila yesterday.

 The incident took place at Karaibari village, confirmed Mahfuzur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Bangrabazar Police Station.

"Around 9:30am, a group of villagers attacked the family at their home," he said, adding that the family was involved in drug trade.

Tipped off, police rushed to the spot and found Ruksana Akhter Rubi, 58; her son Md Russell, 35; and daughter Taspia Akhter Happy, alias Jonaki, 28, lying dead inside the house.

Rubi's younger daughter, Ruma Akhter, 27, was critically injured and sent to Cumilla Medical College Hospital.

According to police, Rubi was accused in 16 cases, Russell in nine, and Jonaki in five -- most of them related to narcotics.

Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday, Russell's wife Mim Akhter claimed the attack followed a long-standing feud with neighbours Bashir, Sharif, and others.

"On Tuesday, they beat up one of our relatives over an alleged mobile phone theft … Since then, there have been tensions between the families. Bashir even called my husband several times on Wednesday night and threatened to kill him."

When this correspondent visited the area, more than two dozen locals said a social arbitration took place around 7:00am yesterday to resolve the dispute. Local Union Parishad Chairman Shimul Billal and member Bachchu Miah were present, while Bashir and Sharif gathered people at the scene.

At one stage, Rubi became agitated and misbehaved with Shimul and others, which triggered a clash that escalated into the mob attack.

Shimul Billal, Bachchu, and Bashir could not be reached for comments.

Cumilla Superintendent of Police Nazir Ahmed Khan said, "If anyone commits a crime, it must be reported to law enforcement. Those who take the law into their own hands will face legal action."

Meanwhile, the killings have drawn condemnation from rights groups.

Ain o Salish Kendra expressed deep concern and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. "The public killing of anyone based on suspicion is a human rights violation and goes against the rule of law," it said in a statement, urging a zero-tolerance policy against mob attacks.

In a separate statement, Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation termed the incident a form of extrajudicial killing. "It is the state's responsibility to bring those involved in the mob beating to justice."

BLAST (Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust) also called for a fair and speedy investigation and trial of those responsible.