In one of the most crowded areas of Dhaka, the trader was bludgeoned to death with stones in what seemed like a frenzied celebration. He was beaten, hacked, tortured, stripped and left on the street. Then the killer picked up a large stone and repeatedly smashed his head, making sure of his death. Can such a scene be accepted in any way? What kind of savagery is this? What kind of monstrosity?

So far it has been learned that the trader, identified as Lal Chand Mia alias Md Sohag, had been running a scrap business on Rajani Ghosh Lane for many years. He was also involved in a syndicate dealing in the purchase and sale of old electrical cables. Disputes over control of this syndicate, along with demands for extortion, had led another group to threaten Sohag for several months. As a result, Sohag was brutally murdered on Wednesday evening.

It has emerged that both Sohag and his killers were affiliated with BNP politics. According to many, some of them, including Sohag, had allegedly controlled the syndicate under the patronage of local Awami League goons during the previous Awami League government. After Sheikh Hasina’s fall from power, they shifted allegiance to BNP. However, with the change in power, inner conflict over control of the syndicate erupted among themselves.