A teenage van driver was allegedly killed by his cousin and accomplices in an attempted robbery in Chatmohar upazila of Pabna.
The body of the victim, Imran Hossain (17), was recovered early Thursday (March 12). Police have detained three suspects, including his cousin, in connection with the killing.
Imran was the son of the late Omar Ali of Shukurbhanga village under Parshadanga union in the upazila.
According to a close relative, Saddam Hossain, Imran’s cousin Sumon Hossain hired his autovan from the Shukurbhanga area on Wednesday evening (March 11). At that time, Helal and two others were travelling with him as passengers.
They reportedly moved around different areas of Chatmohar with the autovan until about 10:00pm. Later, in the Ramchandrapur crematorium area, Imran was allegedly beaten in an attempt to rob the vehicle and his mobile phone.
Investigators say the attackers later strangled him and left the body in a house in neighbouring Bhangura upazila.
When Imran did not return home, family members searched local markets and learned that he had gone out with three passengers. Relatives and local residents then went to Sumon’s house in Bhangura while searching for him.
Locals became suspicious after inconsistencies in their statements and detained the three suspects before taking them to Chatmohar.
During questioning by relatives and residents, the suspects reportedly admitted to killing Imran and abandoning the body near the crematorium area. The family then informed Chatmohar Police Station on Wednesday night.
Officer-in-Charge Golam Sarwar Hossain of Chatmohar Police Station said police recovered Imran’s body from the area on Thursday morning.
“There were visible injury marks on different parts of the body,” he said.
The suspects have been taken into police custody. The body will be sent to Pabna General Hospital morgue for autopsy.
As of 11:00am Thursday, police were still conducting an operation to recover the stolen autovan. Authorities have not yet disclosed the names of the detained suspects due to the ongoing investigation.
