Two killed in Cox's Bazar bar brawl following argument

Two young men were killed in an assault and counter-assault following an argument at a bar at Renaissance The Grand Hotel in Cox's Bazar last night (27 August).

The incident took place at around 11:30pm at the bar on the hotel's first floor.

The deceased were Najibul Haque Rashed, 27, son of the late Zainal Abedin of Nuniarchhara, and Sulaiman, alias Salman, 29, son of Abul Kalam of the BDR Camp area.

According to the bar manager, Tarique, Rashed arrived at the bar with four others and was drinking alcohol. At one point, an argument broke out between Rashed and Ansar, a resident of Ward 2, over an undisclosed issue.

Ansar later called two more people to the bar. They allegedly attacked Rashed with a broken bottle and a knife before attempting to flee. Meanwhile, Salman was detained by people outside the bar.

CCTV footage from the bar and surrounding area showed Tajuar Haque Radhi, a listed criminal, entering the bar with Salman shortly after 11pm.

Salman grabbed Rashed while Radhi allegedly stabbed him repeatedly and struck him with a glass bottle. Rashed later came downstairs injured and collapsed.

Locals rescued him and took him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Meanwhile, Salman was detained and beaten by the public.

A local shopkeeper, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Rashed's relatives later took Salman to Rashed's neighborhood, where he was allegedly beaten again before being turned over to police.

Police took Salman to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was referred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where he died this morning.

Cox's Bazar Additional Superintendent of Police Ahidul Islam said, "We are trying to determine what the argument was about." Police are working to identify those involved and bring them to justice, he added.