Worker beaten to death inside Gazipur factory

A worker was tied up and beaten to death at a garment factory in Konabari, Gazipur city, early Saturday, police said yesterday.

The deceased, Hridoy, 19, of Tangail's Ghatail upazila, used to work as a mechanic at the factory.

Police arrested Hasan Mahmud Mithun, 28, a security guard of the same factory, on Sunday after Hridoy's elder brother, Liton Miah, filed a murder case with Konabari Police Station against unidentified individuals.

The incident took place at a factory named Greenland Limited, which was declared closed for indefinite period after a video of the beating went viral on social media.

This video showed a shirtless Hridoy tied to the window of a room inside the factory. He was writhing in pain. Blood was seen dripping from Hridoy's mouth and nose. His jeans were also stained with blood. At one point, some people around him could be heard saying, "He's been beaten so much, [still] nothing happened, he's not dead."

In another part of the video, some people could be seen dragging Hridoy out of a room with his hands and feet tied. One of the men had a wooden stick in his hand. Some people tried to make him stand up. But Hridoy was unable to stand up properly.

According to the case statement, when Hridoy did not return home after work, his brother and mother went to the factory on Saturday afternoon.

There, they saw the workers protesting outside the factory and learnt that Hridoy had been killed on suspicion of theft. The protesters later blocked the highway nearby.

The family later went to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital and identified Hridoy's body.

Talking to The Daily Star, some workers of the factory said Hridoy was tortured to death by security guards after being accused of theft.

Following the incident, hundreds of outraged workers protested by blocking the highway for several hours. Law enforcement later intervened to restore order. The factory has since been shut down indefinitely.

Contacted Md Salah Uddin, officer-in-charge of Konabari Police Station, said the incident came to light as the factory authorities tried to cover up the incident.

"We first got information that a thief got injured by falling while trying to intrude into the factory by leaping over the wall, and he was sent to hospital. Later, we came to know from the hospital that the man was brought dead to the hospital.

"Later, we heard the details from locals. Then, we collected CCTV footage and other evidence. At one stage, we confirmed that it was a killing."

"We have arrested a suspect. A district court sent him to jail," he added.

Authorities at Greenland Limited could not be contacted over the phone.

Contacted, Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said the matter warrants a proper investigation to unearth the truth.