Man called out of his home and then murdered

A man was killed after being called out from his home allegedly by one of his neighbours in Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Saturday night.

The deceased was identified as Mohammad Mujib, 45, of the Kasaipara area.

Police suspect that the killer tried to cover up the killing as an incident of robbery.

Quoting family members and locals, police said Mujib had a longstanding rivalry with Mohammad Arif, 28.

On Saturday evening, Arif called Mujib from his home offering to have Iftar together. The two went to Shah Omar Mazar.

On their way back around 8:30pm, Mujib was allegedly tied up and strangled to death on a road near Sebakhola Dumchita pond. His body was then dumped in a nearby tobacco field.

The killer staged a drama of robbery to cover up the killing, said Mohammad Monir Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Chakaria Police Station.

As part of the drama, the killer forcibly took two pedestrians hostage, tied their hands and legs, and left them in the same tobacco field, the OC said.

Arif later rushed to the neighbourhood and informed locals that a robbery had taken place but he managed to escape.

Locals rushed to the spot, rescued the three and sent them to the hospital, where the doctors declared Mujib dead.

The injured people are Md. Mozammel, 45, of the same area, and Mohammad Khorshed, 40, of the Lotoni area.

Both are undergoing treatment at Chakaria Upazila Health Complex.

An inquest report has been prepared and no visible injury marks were found on the body. Police initially believed Mujib was killed by strangulation, the OC said.

Asked, the OC did not clarify whether Arif was alone in the killing mission or whether several others were in it.

“Police detained Arif to interrogate -- we are still investigating it,” the OC said.

There had been a prior dispute between Arif and Mujib, during which Arif lost a finger. Although the two appeared to have reconciled, police suspect the killing was carried out in a planned manner.