A twenty-one-year-old college student has died in mysterious circumstances in Netrokona after allegedly attempting to flee from Detective Branch (DB) police officers during an anti-narcotics operation.
The deceased, identified as Sabbir Mia, was a second-year undergraduate student at Netrokona Government College. He was the son of Nazim Uddin, a local betel leaf and cigarette vendor based in the Mechhuabazar area of Netrokona town.
According to law enforcement authorities, a team from the Netrokona District Detective Branch was traveling towards Ruhi village under the Mymensingh border area in Netrokona Sadar Upazila on Tuesday afternoon to conduct a scheduled raid against drug trafficking. As the police convoy approached the Harikhali canal embankment, a group of local youths spotted the officers and attempted to run away. In the ensuing panic, several youths reportedly lost their footing and fell into the canal.
Police officials claimed that local villagers subsequently rescued the individuals from the water but left one youth critically injured on the roadside. Upon finding the unconscious individual, DB officers transported him to Netrokona Modern Sadar Hospital, where the attending medical personnel pronounced him dead on arrival.
Dr Mazharul Amin, the Residential Medical Officer (RMO) at Netrokona Modern Sadar Hospital, confirmed that the youth was brought to the emergency department around 4:30 pm on Tuesday. Medical staff conducted an electrocardiogram (ECG) to confirm his death. Dr Amin noted that the victim’s clothes were completely drenched at the time of arrival, adding that the precise cause of death could only be established following a detailed post-mortem examination.
However, the victim’s family members and close associates have strongly disputed the police narrative, alleging foul play surrounding the circumstances of his death. Speaking to reporters, his sister Purnima Akter and friend Jihad Mia expressed skepticism over the official account, questioning why the young man would go swimming in a canal with his mobile phone still in his pocket. They also raised serious concerns over why the police left him at the hospital without immediate explanation, demanding a formal, impartial investigation into the incident and swift legal justice for Sabbir’s family.
Addressing the controversy, Netrokona District Additional Superintendent of Police Md Hafizul Islam reiterated that the DB team was en route to Amtola for a raid when the panic ensued near the Harikhali canal. He maintained that police officers acted responsibly by taking the critically ill youth from the roadside to the hospital once they discovered him. Law enforcement authorities have assured that necessary procedural steps, including the forensic autopsy, are currently underway to clarify the incident.
