Bangladeshi woman beaten to death in Florida

A Bangladeshi expatriate woman was beaten to death in the city of Fort Myers in the US state of Florida, with police later arresting the suspect.

The deceased, identified as Yasmin, hailed from Kushakhali union under Lakshmipur sadar upazila. She was the sister of Salah Uddin Manik, chairman of Kushakhali Union Parishad.

Shahidul Islam, a resident of Kamalnagar upazila in Lakshmipur currently living in Florida, confirmed the incident on Friday.

According to media reports, Yasmin was attacked around 7:14am (local time) on Thursday in front of a convenience store in Fort Myers. Personnel from the Fort Myers Fire Department and Lee County EMS rushed to the scene and rescued her in a critically injured condition. She was declared dead at 7:27am by attending physicians.

A CCTV footage of the attack has spread on social media, including Facebook. The footage shows a man vandalising the front and side windows of a black car parked outside the store using a hammer. When Yasmin came out of the shop, the attacker struck her on the neck, causing her to collapse instantly. He then hit her on the head multiple times before fleeing the scene.

Quoting Fort Myers police, Shahidul Islam said law enforcement launched an operation immediately after the incident, deploying K-9 units and the sheriff’s aviation unit. Three nearby schools were placed under temporary lockdown as a precautionary measure.

Although the suspect initially fled, police later identified him. He is also suspected of being involved in a previously unsolved murder case, he added.

Residents were urged to remain cautious and to call emergency services if the suspect was spotted. The accused was arrested later in the afternoon, though his identity was not immediately disclosed.