Alleged extortionists killed a fifth grader by stabbing him and then shoving him in front of a speeding bus in Rangpur city on Thursday night.

Abdur Rashid, 14, was the son of vegetable seller Shahidar Rahman of Satgara Mistripara area in the city.

His aunt Nazma Begum, who claims to be present at the scene, said, “Local extortionist Mozaffar Rahman and his associates Monti, Joy, Belal and several others beat him up on the street and stabbed him before shoving him in front of a speeding bus.”

She had tried in vain to save her nephew, she added.

Locals rushed him to Rangpur Medical College Hospital where he died around 4:20am yesterday, around seven hours after he was attacked.

Quoting family members, police said Mozaffar had been demanding Tk 500 from Rashid’s elder brother Mohan, 30, for the last few days.

When Mohan, an auto-rickshaw puller, didn’t agree to give him the money, Mozaffar told him that he would harm his family, said Officer-in-Charge Abdur Rashid of Rangpur Kotwali Police Station.

Mohan informed Mozaffar’s father about Mozaffar’s conduct on Thursday. The two families then sat together in Textile Mills area of the city to settle the issue. The boy was fatally injured when he was returning home from there with his aunt, the OC said.

He added that police were looking for the suspects who had fled the area.

Police handed over Rashid’s body to his parents after an autopsy at the medical college.

The boy’s father Shahidar filed a case yesterday afternoon accusing six men, police said.