Painter Dies After Two Days of Alleged Torture Over Theft

A house painter has died after allegedly being held captive and subjected to brutal physical torture for two days in Narayanganj’s Fatullah on suspicion of stealing Tk 50,000.

The victim, identified as Nayan Hawladar, died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday after spending six days in the hospital with serious injuries.

The death was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon by Mahbub Alam, officer-in-charge of Fatullah Model Police Station. He said Nayan’s wife, Amena Akter Shimu, had filed a case over the incident. Police have arrested four people in connection with the case, while efforts are under way to apprehend other suspects.

According to the victim’s family, Nayan was subjected to severe physical abuse after being accused of stealing money from a house where he had been working as a painter. The alleged assault left him critically injured. Police later rescued him from the house and took him to hospital, but doctors were unable to save him.

Shimu said she and Nayan lived as tenants at the home of a relative of Shahjalal in the Tatkhana area of Godnail in Siddhirganj. Nayan worked as a painter and had been employed for about a month at the home of Nurul Islam in South Shihachar, Fatullah.

On 14 July, Nayan went to Nurul’s house for work as usual. That night, Nurul reportedly called Shimu and told her that Nayan had been accused of stealing Tk 50,000 from the house. According to Shimu, she was told that Nayan would be released if the money was returned.

Desperate to secure her husband’s release, Shimu allegedly pawned her gold earrings the following day and managed to arrange Tk 30,000. She claimed that even after the money was handed over, Nayan was not released.

Instead, she alleged, Nurul Islam’s wife, Ayesha Siddika, became enraged and sat on Nayan’s chest before striking him with a piece of wood. Another member of the household, Sirajus Salekin, allegedly used an electrical wire to administer electric shocks and twisted Nayan’s left wrist and fingers.

Shimu said Nayan eventually became motionless during the alleged assault. Fearing that her husband might be killed, she reportedly pleaded with those involved to stop. Despite this, Nurul allegedly continued to pressure her to arrange the remaining Tk 20,000.

With Nayan’s condition deteriorating, Shimu eventually called the national emergency service number 999. Acting on her call, police went to the house on the afternoon of 16 July, arrested Nurul Islam and rescued the critically injured painter. He was subsequently admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he remained under treatment for six days before dying.

Mahbub Alam, the Fatullah police chief, said preliminary information suggested that Nayan had been confined and beaten at Nurul’s house for two days. He added that an earlier report to police might have enabled officers to rescue him sooner.

The case, filed by Shimu, has so far led to the arrest of four suspects. Police are continuing operations to locate and arrest others allegedly involved in the incident.

Shimu said the family had borrowed heavily to pay for Nayan’s medical treatment but ultimately could not save him. She alleged that her husband was effectively beaten to death after being falsely accused of theft and demanded the harshest punishment for everyone responsible.

The incident has reportedly caused anger among local residents and has renewed concerns about the dangers of vigilante violence. Even when there is a genuine suspicion of theft, individuals cannot legally detain, assault or punish a suspect themselves. Allegations of criminal activity must be reported to law enforcement, which is responsible for investigating the claim and determining whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed with legal action.

The police investigation is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding Nayan’s detention, the alleged assault, the money demanded from his wife and the precise roles of each person present at the house. Investigators will also seek to establish whether additional individuals were involved and whether any attempt was made to conceal or delay reporting the incident.

Nayan’s death has now turned an alleged case of theft into a serious criminal investigation involving alleged unlawful confinement, torture and death. The final findings will depend on the evidence gathered by investigators and the subsequent legal proceedings.