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A grocery shop owner was hacked to death after attackers allegedly hurled a petrol bomb at his shop and set it on fire in Rajshahi city early Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Abdul Bari, 40, son of Badrul Sarker of the Bakir Mor area under Rajpara Police Station.
The incident took place around 1:45am in the Bakir Mor area, police and the victim’s relatives said.
According to them, the attack stemmed from an earlier dispute over Bari’s refusal to exchange money for a group of youths from the Chandipur area.
The youths had gone to Bari’s shop on Saturday evening to exchange money. When he declined, an argument broke out, followed by a scuffle.
Later, around 50 to 55 people allegedly arrived in front of Bari’s house carrying local weapons and petrol bombs, according to police and his relatives.
The attackers first broke the lock of the shop’s shutter and then threw a petrol bomb inside, setting the shop on fire.
Hearing the commotion and seeing the fire, Bari and other family members came out of the house. The attackers then surrounded Bari and allegedly hacked him with sharp weapons.
After the attackers left, Bari was rescued in critical condition and taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Rajpara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abul Kalam Azad said police visited the scene after receiving information about the incident.
“No one had been arrested as of Sunday afternoon,” he said.
Bari’s body has been kept at the hospital morgue and will be handed over to his family after an autopsy, the OC said.
He added that preparations were underway to file a case and that police would identify and arrest those responsible after receiving the complaint.