‘How many must die before you arrest the drug peddlers?’
Family claims Jahid was caught in fight between criminals
When 20-year-old Jahid left home last night for a cup of tea with his friends, his sister Azmiri Begum never imagined it would be the last time she saw him alive.
Hours later, she found herself standing outside the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) morgue, her cries piercing the quiet morning air.
"My brother is innocent — he didn't even smoke," said the 28-year-old, her voice shaking as she spoke. "He was caught between the drug dealers fighting inside the camp."
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Standing near the police officers questioning witnesses, Azmiri's grief turned into anger.
"Sir, how many more lives must be lost before you arrest the drug peddlers?" she cried.
"I know the culprits — please arrest them before they kill someone else."
Police said they were investigating the incident.
Mohammadpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kazi Rafiq told The Business Standard, "Our forces reached the spot immediately after being informed of the clash and brought the situation under control. Later, we learned about Jahid's death. A case is yet to be filed."
Jahid was killed after a cocktail exploded on him during a clash between two rival groups inside Mohammadpur's Geneva Camp late Wednesday. He was first rushed to the Trauma Centre and later transferred to DMCH, where doctors pronounced him dead around 4:30am.
What witnesses say
At the morgue this morning (23 October), five to eight people — relatives and neighbours — gathered in grief, some weeping, others stunned into silence. Nearby, police officials from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) questioned Mahtab, a close friend of Jahid who was with him when the blast occurred.
"We were on our way to a tea stall called Anurag when a clash broke out between two groups — one led by Bunia Sohel and the other by Chua Selim," Mahtab told The Business Standard.
"Selim's men had sharp weapons, pistols, and cocktails. We were caught in the middle when a 12-year-old boy named Golabu threw a cocktail at Jahid. It hit him directly."
However, insiders from the camp claimed that Jahid was very close to drug peddler Bunia Sohel. He was seen fighting against the Cuha Selim group on behalf of Bunia Sohel and was even an expert in making cocktails.
On condition of anonymity, a resident of the camp told TBS that Jahid had actively participated in the clash and was injured. "However, some people spread false news claiming that he was killed in a blast while making cocktails."
He said, "The blast occurred on Wednesday noon and injured an individual named Kallu, alias 'Boma Kallu,' while he was making cocktails, but Jahid was killed during the fighting."
Meanwhile, Mohammadpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kazi Rafiq said they had received different pieces of information from various sources.
"Several individuals claimed that Jahid was killed in a blast while making cocktails, while others said he died after being hit on the head by a cocktail hurled from the rival group," said the OC.
A life cut short
Jahid lived with his sister Azmiri and worked at a mobile servicing shop at Mizan Tower in Kallanpur, run by his brother-in-law Uzzal. He was the youngest among seven siblings — a child raised in hardship and loss.
"Our father died when Jahid was only three months old. Our mother raised us through endless struggle before she passed away two years ago. Jahid was her youngest, and she adored him," said Azmiri.
To neighbours, Jahid was known as a gentle young man — hardworking, quiet, and far detached from the crime-ridden networks that have long plagued the narrow alleys of Geneva Camp.
