Forest Dept official dies after being beaten up on DU campus

A forest department official has died due to severe injuries inflicted by a group of individuals, including a businessman, on Dhaka University campus.

Basonto Kumar Das, a 52-year-old employee of the account department at Mohakhali Forest Office, succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Sunday morning, said Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Salman Farsi of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Ramna zone.

According to Hemanta Kumar Das, the younger brother of the victim, Basonto was summoned to the university campus late on Saturday night by a distant relative called Shanti Mondal around 10:30pm. Once there, Basonto was subjected to a brutal assault involving physical violence, including slapping and kicking, by unidentified assailants.

Shanti Mandal informed Basonto's family about the attack, and asked them to go to the Dhaka University campus.

When they arrived, they discovered Basonto in police custody. After returning home, Basonto's condition worsened during the night, prompting his family to rush him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Sunday morning. Later, he passed away at the hospital.

Sub-Inspector Sukumar Dutta from Shahbagh Police Station recounted that he and fellow officers were present near the TSC area when they noticed a commotion involving Basonto. Basonto was in a rickshaw with Shanti Mandal, and an altercation erupted, leading Basonto to attempt to flee. Shanti Mandal apprehended him, and upon questioning, it became apparent that Basonto had been subjected to a severe beating. Basonto was then handed over to his family.

Hemanta Kumar Das revealed that Shanti Mandal resides in the Eskaton area of the capital. The process of filing a case related to the untimely demise of his brother is currently underway.