A late-night domestic crime ended in tragedy in Bangladesh’s Manikganj district after an auto-rickshaw driver died following a physical assault by his son-in-law, who was reportedly caught attempting to steal an electric vehicle battery.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:00 am on Monday in Sakrail village, situated within Ward 8 of Garpara Union under Manikganj Sadar Upazila. The deceased, identified as 48-year-old Siddique Ali, worked as a local auto-rickshaw driver to support his household. His 27-year-old son-in-law, Russell, stands accused of launching the fatal attack.
According to local reports and initial police investigations, Russell snuck onto the victim’s residential property during the early hours of the morning. His intended target was the battery of a “Hello Bike”—a popular form of battery-powered three-wheeled public transport widely utilised across rural and semi-urban regions of Bangladesh. Family members were awakened by suspicious sounds on the premises and managed to apprehend Russell red-handed.
A fiery confrontation broke out between Siddique Ali and his son-in-law over the attempted theft. As the altercation escalated, Russell allegedly delivered a violent kick to Siddique Ali’s torso, knocking him forcefully to the ground. The physical impact caused severe internal trauma, leading the victim to collapse immediately on the spot.
Babul Miah, a neighbour and eyewitness, described hearing loud shouts cutting through the night. Upon running outside, he observed the verbal duel between the two men, which quickly turned violent when Russell landed the blow. Distressed family members and nearby residents rushed the injured driver to a nearby medical facility, where attending doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.
Speaking after the incident, the victim’s grieving wife, Runa Begum, stated that Russell was accompanied by two accomplices during the night, identifying one of them by the name Shaon. The precise involvement of the second and third individuals remains under investigation. Furthermore, local residents claimed that Russell suffers from ongoing drug addiction and regularly resorted to petty crime and theft to fund his habits—an issue that had caused frequent friction within the family.
In the immediate aftermath of the assault, enraged local residents cornered and physically assaulted Russell before law enforcement arrived. Superintendent Monir Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Manikganj Sadar Police Station, confirmed that Russell was subsequently taken into custody. Due to injuries sustained during the public backlash, he is currently receiving medical care at a local hospital under strict police guard.
Police authorities noted that the exact cause of Siddique Ali’s death will be formally established following the completion of a post-mortem examination. Detectives are currently reviewing eyewitness statements and gathering forensic evidence as formal legal proceedings take shape.
