An auto-rickshaw driver who went missing with his vehicle in Chapainawabganj’s Shibganj has been found dead in a sugarcane field, five days after his disappearance.
Police recovered the decomposed body of Mohammad Ruman Ali from a sugarcane field in the Pithalitola-Puthimari Beel area of Shibganj municipality on Wednesday night, 26 August.
Ruman, the son of Ekramul Haque of Selimabad village in Shibganj, worked as an auto-rickshaw driver. According to his family and police, he disappeared on the morning of 21 August from the Pailing More area of Shibganj while travelling with his auto-rickshaw.
His disappearance prompted a search by relatives and others, but no trace of him was found over the following days. On 23 August, Ruman’s wife, Nazma Sultana, lodged a complaint at Shibganj Police Station alleging that her husband had been abducted.
The search took a grim turn on Wednesday evening when several farmers returning home after working in nearby fields noticed a body lying inside a sugarcane field. Local residents informed the police, who arrived at the scene and recovered the remains before taking them to the police station.
The condition of the body made immediate identification difficult. However, Nazma identified the remains as those of her husband after recognising the clothes, belt and sandals found with the body.
Police have arrested three men in connection with the case — Mohammad Wasim, Rafiqul Islam and Omar Faruk. The auto-rickshaw was also recovered in connection with the arrests.
The three suspects were subsequently produced before a court. The investigating officer sought permission to question them in police custody as part of the investigation. Following a hearing, the court granted three days’ remand for each of the three accused.
Shibganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Motiur Rahman confirmed that Ruman’s body had been recovered from the sugarcane field in the Pithalitola-Puthimari Beel area. The remains have been sent to the Chapainawabganj District Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination.
The post-mortem is expected to assist investigators in determining the circumstances and cause of Ruman’s death. Police are also investigating the circumstances surrounding his disappearance, the recovery of the auto-rickshaw and the role of the three arrested men.
Authorities said efforts were continuing to identify and arrest any other individuals who may have been involved. The investigation remains ongoing.
