Police recovered throat-slit bodies of four men from a paddy field near Duboier Beel area in the district's Shibganj upazila yesterday.

Three of the dead are Jakaria, 35, Shahabul, 30, and Md Helal, 32. The identity of the other victim could not be confirmed.

The three were known in the area as yaba addicts. Their families suspect that they might have been killed over yaba money.

Locals spotted the bodies in the paddy field around 9:30am and informed police. The bodies were sent to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College for autopsies, said Shahid Mahmud Khan, OC of Shibganj Police Station.

Sanatan Chakraborty, Additional Superintendent (Bogra circle) of Police, said the hands of the victims were tied behind their back.

Talking to this correspondent, Sahabul's mother Sehera Begum said her son used to go to the capital at times to earn money by pulling a rickshaw. He also had a betel leaf shop in the village.

Sahabul was supposed to go to Dhaka yesterday. He spoke to his mother and wife over the phone around 9:00pm on Sunday night.

Sehera said Sahabul used to buy yaba pills on credit from some local druggies who put pressure on him to pay the due amount.  

Zakaria's mother Jahanara Bibi said her son and his friends had been taking yaba for the last two years.

“My son used to buy yaba pills from his friends. He owed them Tk 6,000, but he had no money to pay them.”

She alleged that three yaba peddlers beat up her son a few days ago and snatched a smartphone from him.

Kilima Bibi, mother of Helal, said her son had been behind bars around six months ago. “At least he was alive then. What benefit did he get from his release from jail? He is no more today. It would have been better had he been in jail.”

She admitted that Helal was a druggie and his wife left him because of this.

Yaba trade became a very common event in the area and some people involved in politics were patronising yaba traders, said Atmul Union Parishad Chairman Md Mozaffar Hosain.  He suspected the killing of the four took place over yaba trade.

Seeking anonymity, a union-level Jubo League leader said some Awami League men were involved in the trade and peddling of yaba.

According to locals, a relative of a union-level AL leader was arrested for possession of yaba tablets a few months ago. Later, he came out of jail on bail and resumed the trade with the help of some local yaba peddlers. 

The OC of Shibganj Police Station said a case would be filed by the victims' relatives in connection with the four-murder.