Mob torches suspects' houses after missing auto-rickshaw driver found dead in Barishal

A mob set fire to the houses of two suspects in Barishal city this morning after the body of a missing auto-rickshaw driver was recovered.

The incident took place in the Harinafulia area of ward 26 around 10:00am.

The deceased was identified as Nazmul Hossain, 22, son of Abdur Rashid Molla of Makarkathi village under Raipasha-Karapur union.

Al Mamun Islam, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said locals found bloodstained clothes at the home of Farida Begum, 60, in Harinafulia. Suspecting her involvement in the killing, they set the house on fire. The mob also torched the home of her daughter-in-law, Kamrunnahar Shilpi, 35.

After being informed, police rushed to the scene and detained Farida, Kamrunnahar and two of their relatives -- Saiful Islam, 38, and Miraj Hossain Shuvo, 32.

Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Airport Police Station, said the victim's father had filed a murder case against unidentified persons early Monday. Later, the four detainees were named as accused in the case.

According to police and the victim's family, Nazmul, an auto-rickshaw driver, went missing around 10:00am on June 13. His family searched for him without success before filing a general diary with the Airport Police Station.

Police recovered his body, in a sack, from the Kalijira area of Barishal city on Monday morning, sparking outrage among local residents.

Since the recovery of the body, locals have been demanding the arrest of those responsible and exemplary punishment for the perpetrators.

A neighbour, Shahjahan, said an angry crowd torched the houses of Farida and Kamrunnahar after they came under suspicion in the killing.

OC Al Mamun said police are investigating the motive behind the murder and working to identify everyone involved.

Authorities have also launched a separate investigation into the arson attack carried out by the mob, he added.