'Jhalmuri vendor' stabs garment worker to death in Gazipur

A garment worker was stabbed to death allegedly by a Jhalmuri vendor in Chakraborty area under Kashimpur Police Station in Gazipur on Wednesday night.

The deceased was identified as Gazi Rafez Ahmed, 35, son of Gazi Khorshed Alam of Basakhali area in Paikgachha upazila of Khulna. He is survived by his wife and a seven-year-old daughter.

Kashimpur Police Station officer in-charge (OC) Molla Md Khalid Hossain confirmed the information saying, police arrested jhalmuri seller Ataur Rahman immediately after the incident with locals help.

Two others were also injured in the attack, the OC informed.

The incident occurred around 9:00pm in front of Nuru Market, beside Gate No. 2 of Beximco Industrial Park in the Chakrabortytek area

Victim's cousin Nazmul said Rafez was eating jhalmuri at a roadside shop when a jhalmuri vendor at another nearby shop was arguing and shouting with several passersby around 9pm.

Rafez went there in an attempt to settle the dispute but the vendor became angry and attacked Rafis and two others with a sharp knife he was carrying, Nazmul said. 

Rafez suffered a deep wound to the right side of his abdomen. Locals took him to KPJ Specialised Hospital, but as his condition worsened, he was later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where doctors declared him dead.

The two injured, Ashraf Ali, 52, and Murad Hossain, 34, were first taken to Lab One Hospital and later shifted to KPJ hospital.

The OC said Ataur also stabbed Ashraf in his left arm and lower left chest, and Murad below his left elbow and on the right side of his chest.

Police went to the scene and locals handed Ataur over to them. Legal action is underway, he added.

The OC said a murder case had also been filed against Ataur earlier.

Asked whether the incident was pre-planned, he said they had not found anything so far to suggest that it was. He also said a case had been filed over the incident.

Inspector Habibur Rahman of the DMCH police outpost said Rafez’s body was kept in the morgue for autopsy. The exact cause of death will be known after the report.