Villagers bury ‘drug-addict’ waist-deep for assaulting mother

In a shocking incident of vigilante justice, an enraged crowd in Gazipur’s Sreepur upazila buried a man waist-deep in the ground after he allegedly assaulted his elderly mother for refusing to give him money to buy drugs.

The incident took place on Saturday morning, December 13, in Tepirbari village. 

The accused was identified as Khalil, 30, son of Nur Uddin.

According to local residents, Khalil attacked his mother, Khodeja Begum, after she declined his demand for Tk 2,000. 

In a fit of rage, he allegedly hurled a brick at her, leaving her critically injured.

Witnesses said Khalil had long been a source of fear and frustration in the area. 

He previously ran a small grocery shop, which later shut down. His wife reportedly left him due to financial hardship, after which he became depressed and addicted to drugs. 

Locals claimed he frequently extorted money from his mother and harassed family members to sustain his addiction.

Furious over the attack on the elderly woman, residents rushed to the spot, overpowered Khalil and tied him to a post near the house. 

When asked to apologise to his mother, he allegedly turned violent again, further enraging the crowd.

The situation quickly spiralled as locals dug a pit beside the Chhatirbazar–Tepirbari road and buried Khalil up to his waist, subjecting him to public humiliation as an act of punishment.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with locals demanding strict legal action against Khalil to prevent similar violence in the future.

Officer-in-Charge of Sreepur Police Station Mohammad Nasir Ahmed said police have taken the matter into cognisance and are investigating the incident. “Legal action will be taken after completing the inquiry,” he said.

Aminul Islam/MHK/NMA