A drug-dependent man has allegedly murdered his father in the Chokoria upazila of Cox’s Bazar district, shortly after completing a prison sentence. The incarceration had been initiated following an official complaint lodged by the parents themselves regarding their son’s substance abuse and disruptive behaviour. Upon his release from custody, the suspect reportedly launched a fatal assault on his father, inflicting catastrophic injuries.
The incident occurred at approximately 02:30 pm on Friday, 22 May, in the Moulvarkum area, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Chokoria municipality. The violent confrontation has sent shockwaves through the local community, leading to the immediate apprehension of the suspect by local residents before he was handed over to law enforcement.
Background and administrative actions
The victim, identified as sixty-year-old Khalilur Rahman, was a long-term resident of the Moulvarkum neighbourhood. He operated a small retail stall in the locality, selling tea and betel leaf to provide a modest livelihood for his family. According to administrative records and police accounts, Khalilur Rahman and his wife had grown increasingly distressed by the persistent and volatile actions of their thirty-year-old son, Minarul Islam, who suffered from severe narcotics addiction.
In an effort to control his dangerous behaviour and seek state intervention, the parents had previously submitted a formal complaint to the local authorities. Acting upon this specific familial grievance, a mobile court subsequently intervened, finding Minarul Islam guilty of offences related to substance abuse and public disruption. The executive magistrate operating the mobile court sentenced him to a fixed term of one month of imprisonment. Minarul Islam served the entirety of his custodial sentence and was released from a correctional facility just days prior to the fatal encounter.
The assault and public intervention
Eyewitnesses to the crime detailed that the confrontation took place shortly after the weekly Friday Juma prayers. Khalilur Rahman was walking back to his residence from the local mosque when his path was suddenly obstructed by Minarul Islam. Without warning, the suspect produced a sharp, traditional machete—locally known as a da—and began to strike his father repeatedly and indiscriminately.
The physical ferocity of the attack resulted in catastrophic trauma. Khalilur Rahman’s left wrist was completely severed from his arm, and a significant portion of his upper arm was nearly detached from his torso. Bystanders and neighbours rushed to the scene to intervene and halt the bleeding, rushing the critically wounded trader to the Chokoria Upazila Health Complex. However, upon arrival at the medical facility, the emergency medical officer on duty conducted immediate clinical assessments and officially pronounced Khalilur Rahman dead, confirming he had succumbed to severe haemorrhage and trauma.
Immediately following the assault, an incensed crowd of local residents pursued and detained Minarul Islam. The public subjected the suspect to a physical beating before moving him to a nearby community centre, where they secured him with ropes to prevent any potential escape. Upon receiving emergency notification of the murder and the subsequent public detention of the suspect, a detachment from the Chokoria Police Station arrived swiftly at the community centre, took custody of Minarul Islam, and transported him to the station.
Police findings and ongoing investigation
Local residents noted that Minarul Islam had harboured deep-seated resentment toward his father, viewing him as directly responsible for his recent judicial prosecution and subsequent imprisonment. This animosity had manifested visibly on the afternoon of Thursday, 21 May, when a heated verbal altercation erupted between the father and son at their home. On that occasion, neighbours had stepped in to mediate and temporarily de-escalated the volatile argument.
The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Chokoria Police Station, Mohammad Monir Hossain, formally confirmed the details of the homicide and the arrest of the suspect. The police official stated that the family had long been pushed to desperation by the erratic and destructive conduct of the narcotics-dependent young man.
The Officer-in-Charge further clarified that preliminary police interrogations and situational evidence strongly indicate the killing was motivated by revenge over the prior mobile court conviction. Minarul Islam remains held in police custody as law enforcement officers complete the necessary statutory requirements, including the post-mortem examination of the victim, ahead of filing formal murder charges in court.