A somber mood has descended over Tangail’s Dhanbari Upazila after the body of a young man missing since 30 November was discovered in the Turag River on 2 December. The deceased, identified as 25‑year‑old Momin Khan Shakil, had vanished on his way home from work, only to be found after three gruelling days of frantic searching.
Shakil lived with his elderly father and a small child in Porabari village, Jadanathpur Union. Having secured a job in a private firm in Dhaka, he commuted daily to provide for his family — one of the few opportunities for a comfortable life they had ever known. According to his father, Shakil was devoted and conscientious, often skipping meals to save money for his child’s schooling.
He disappeared on the night of 30 November after leaving the office as usual. He boarded a bus bound for Diabari, but never made it home. When he did not return, his family’s concern quickly escalated. They scoured hospitals, police stations and bus terminals, hoping for news. Meanwhile, whispers spread among neighbours that he might have been seen getting into an unmarked vehicle. They speculated an abduction, though none dared confirm the sighting publicly.
On the evening of 2 December, officers from the Turag River Police recovered a body floating in the river — bearing a striking resemblance to Shakil. Fingerprint verification confirmed his identity, and the family was informed by telephone by 9:30 pm. At the hospital, a crowd of relatives and friends gathered. The response was raw and anguished: sobbing, collapsed knees, stunned disbelief. One close family friend described the scene: “It felt like hope died there and then.”
Reports suggest the post‑mortem examination indicated violent trauma rather than drowning. Bruising, possible signs of strangulation, and other unexplained injuries led investigators to conclude that the body was dumped deliberately to destroy evidence. The police have begun a murder‐and‑disposal inquiry — collecting CCTV footage from Diabari and nearby streets, interviewing suspected witnesses, and canvassing for any vehicles seen around the time of disappearance.
The bereaved family has accused unnamed abductors of snatching and killing Shakil before disposing of his body — demanding an immediate and thorough investigation. “They took our son like a criminal, but they treated him worse than garbage,” said his father through tears.
In Porabari, neighbours recall Shakil as a quiet but active young man. He frequently participated in social‑service activities and political events under the banner of the ruling party — a fact some believe may have made him a target. While no concrete evidence yet substantiates a politically motivated crime, such suspicions have stirred unease across the community.
Human rights groups and local residents are now calling on authorities to handle the case with utmost seriousness. They demand forensic transparency, accountability, and vigilance. Many emphasise the broader context: a rise in nighttime abductions and politically tinged disappearances across Dhaka and surrounding districts. For them, Shakil’s death is not just one man’s tragedy — it serves as a grim warning to the thousands of young workers commuting home on dimly lit roads.
As villagers light candles and place wreaths at the banks of the Turag — mourning a life so abruptly lost — hope wanes that justice will be quick. But in hushed prayers and whispered promises, they hold on: may the truth surface, and may no family suffer such pain again.