Boy beaten to death at Hazaribagh, BCL leader held

A teenage boy was beaten to death in Dhaka’s Hazaribagh area allegedly by a local Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader and his associates today.

Victim Raja, 16, was a day labourer.

Police detained Arzu Mia, 28, Lalbagh unit BCL president, and two other suspects -- Monir, 35, and Sagor, 25, -- in connection with the murder, said Hazaribagh police.

The victim and the alleged killers are residents of Ganaktuli area of Hazaribagh. Locals said Arzu and his associates tortured Raja to death.

Victim’s aunt Begum said Arzu took Raja from their home in the morning on suspicion that the boy stole his mobile phone.

Arzu and a couple of his friends beat up Raja mercilessly with bamboo sticks. Later, they took him to an under construction building at Baddanagar Lane and again beat him up, said Sub-Inspector Olive Mahmud of Hazaribagh Police Station.

They again beat the boy up after taking him to Chankharpul area on a motorcycle, the SI added.

Arzu and his associates left Raja in front of his house in the afternoon, the victim’s aunt said.

The family members took Raja to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where doctors declared him dead around 4:30pm, she added.

Contacted, Hazaribagh unit Awami League General Secretary Sadek Hamid Saju confirmed that Arzu and two other detainees were BCL leaders and activists.