Man beaten to death at Suhrawardy hospital over child theft suspicions

A 41-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by relatives of patients at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka on Wednesday night on suspicion of being a child thief.

The victim was identified as Alam Sheikh, who lived in the capital’s Rupnagar area, said Ibn-e-Mizan, deputy commissioner (DC) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Tejgaon Division.

According to the victim’s family, Alam was mentally challenged and had suffered a stroke, the DC added.

Rimon Mia, a sub-inspector (SI) of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, said the incident took place at around 11pm when Alam was roaming in front of the hospital’s paediatric ward. Relatives of children receiving treatment there suspected him of being a child thief.

They questioned him about his presence at the hospital, but he could not provide a satisfactory answer. The relatives then dragged him downstairs and severely beat him. Alam died from his injuries, the officer said.

Police were alerted through the national emergency helpline 999 following the incident. Rimon Mia and other officers went to the scene and recovered the body.

Police identified Alam by matching his fingerprints, the SI said.

He added that a man named Mostafizur Rahman Ayon had been arrested in connection with the incident.

DC Ibn-e-Mizan said police had prepared an inquest report before sending the body to the hospital morgue for an autopsy.

Police would formally register a case once the victim’s relatives arrived at the police station, he said.