Following a pre-dawn burglary, a senior leader of Jamaat-e-Islami was found dead inside his residence in West Rajabazar, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar – brutally tied up, and cloth stuffed in his mouth, leading to suffocation.
The victim, Mohammad Anwar Ullah, 65, a retired teacher, local homeopath, and social worker, was discovered lifeless by police on Tuesday morning.
His wife, who was also attacked during the same incident, survived the ordeal but remains traumatised.
According to police, the incident occurred between 2:00am and 5:00am on Monday, January 12. A gang of burglars reportedly cut through the window grills of the house while the elderly couple was asleep.
The assailants allegedly overpowered both Anwar Ullah and his wife, tightly binding their hands and feet with ropes and stuffing cloth deep into their mouths to prevent any cries for help.
After immobilising the couple, the robbers ransacked the house, fleeing with cash amounting to approximately Tk 5 lakh and around eight bhori of gold ornaments.
Anwar Ullah, unable to breathe properly due to the gagging and the stress of the attack, succumbed to suffocation sometime during or after the robbery. His wife, though severely restrained, managed to survive.
Md Imaul Haque, Officer-in-Charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, told reporters: “The criminals tied up both husband and wife, gagged them, and looted the house. Anwar Ullah later died from the suffocation. We have already started a murder and robbery investigation. A case has been filed and our teams are working to identify and arrest the perpetrators.”
Mohammad Anwar Ullah held the position of rukn of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar South unit and served as vice-president of the party’s West Rajabazar ward unit.
Ataur Rahman Sarkar, Dhaka City North Jamaat-e-Islami publicity and media secretary, expressed deep grief: “He was a committed rukn of the party and a respected figure in the community.”
The 65-year-old is survived by his wife, two daughters, and one son.
The gruesome nature of the crime – particularly the suffocation by gagging – has spread panic among residents of West Rajabazar and surrounding areas.
The case has been registered as murder during robbery, and a high-level investigation is underway. Authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward immediately.