While Ruplal Das and Pradip Lal were being beaten to death in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur, police had arrived at the scene. However, they left without rescuing the victims out of “fear of the mob”.
About an hour later, the two were rescued in an unconscious state with the help of the army. One of the victims died before reaching hospital, and the other a few hours later while undergoing treatment. This has been learned from speaking to local representatives and witnesses.
Abdul Hamid, a member of Sayar Union Parishad in Taraganj, told Prothom Alo, “What is the administration for? The police did come- shouldn’t they have saved those men? But they saw a huge crowd and left. If the police had tried, they could have saved those two men.”
Locals said that within a three-kilometre radius of where Ruplal and Pradip were beaten to death, three incidents of theft and robbery with another case of a child being murdered during a cycle van hijacking had occurred in the past eight days.
This had left residents angry at thieves and robbers. From 3 August, villagers began night patrols to catch thieves. Tragically, Ruplal and Pradip became victims of these vigilante activities, they added.
Ruplal Das, 40, was from Ghonirampur village in Kursha Union of Taraganj upazila. He was beaten to death in the Bottola area of Sayar Union. In the same incident, his niece’s husband, Pradip Lal, 35, from Baluabhata village in Mithapukur upazila, was killed as well.
Ruplal earned a living by repairing shoes at the local market and lived with his mother, wife and three children in a small tin-roofed house. Pradip earned his livelihood as a cycle-van puller.
Ruplal’s family said that discussions were underway for the marriage of Ruplal’s daughter, Nupur Rani, to a young man from Shyampur area in Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur. The wedding date was to be fixed last Sunday.
On the previous day, Saturday, Pradip drove his cycle-van from Mithapukur to go to Ruplal’s house in Ghonirampur. Not being familiar with the village roads, Pradip called Ruplal when he reached Kaziarhat area. Ruplal met him there, and the two set off together for Ghonirampur.
Ruplal’s son, Joy Das alleged that when his father and Pradip reached Bottola on the Taraganj–Kaziarhat road around 9:00 pm on Saturday, several young men blocked their way. They took a few plastic bottles out of a sack laying on Pradip’s cycle-van, leading to a scuffle. As more people gathered, Ruplal and Pradip were accused of being thieves.
One man named Mehedi Hasan, held one of the bottles under his nose, then staggered and collapsed, pleading, “Brother, please hold me.” Two people carried him away. Word spread, and hundreds of people gathered, accusing Ruplal and Pradip of theft. The mob began to beat them, eventually dragging them to Burirhat High School ground.
Eyewitnesses said that when Ruplal and Pradip were brought to the school ground, two police vans hearing the news arrived at Burirhat bazaar around 9:30 pm but left without rescuing them. Ruplal and Pradip were still alive. About an hour later, three vehicles carrying police and army personnel arrived and recovered the men in an unconscious state from the school field.
While visiting Burirhat High School around 9:00 am today, Tuesday, this correspondent saw the victims’ shoes, lungi (clothes), umbrella, towel, their cycle-van’s handle and cables lying near the school’s main gate. A tension prevailed all over the area with locals being visibly scared.
Khokon Mia, a vegetable vendor at Burirhat bazaar and an eyewitness, told Prothom Alo, “My shop was open at the time. People were rushing in from all directions, saying a thief had been caught. A short while later, two police vehicles arrived, but they left seeing the large crowd.”
Rafiqul Islam, a van puller from Burirhat village, said, “I was returning home around 9:30 pm. People were beating Ruplal and Pradip at the Burirhat school field, accusing them of theft. They were still alive then. Two police vehicles were there. The police even blew whistles to disperse the crowd, but when people didn’t move, the police left. Later, three vehicles with army and police arrived and took the two unconscious men away.”
Ruplal’s mother, Lalchi Das lamented, “My son was a humble man. He never quarrelled with anyone for anything. They killed him for no reason. I demand death penalty for those who murdered my son.”
Officer-in-charge (OC) of Taraganj police station, MA Faruk, said, “Burirhat is quite far from the police station and it takes time to get there. When the mob had gathered, there were 3,000-4,000 people on the school field. The police tried to protect them, but the crowd wouldn’t disperse. With thousands of people in the way, it was not possible for the police to save them.”