Family allege murder over loan interest as man found hanging in Madaripur

The family of a man whose body was found hanging from a tree near his house in Madaripur has alleged he was murdered after he failed to pay loan interest.

Relatives and local residents held a human chain and protest in Shibchar Upazila on Friday, demanding a fair investigation and the arrest of those responsible for the death of 38-year-old Sohel Bepari.

Madaripur Assistant Superintendent of Police Salahuddin Quader said the man was found hanging from a tree near his house on Tuesday morning.

According to his family, Sohel had borrowed money from a local loan shark known as Hasan Madbor.

They alleged that Hasan and his associates had previously assaulted Sohel over unpaid interest.

Sohel’s daughter Sumaiya Akter claimed her father left home on Monday night after receiving a phone call and never returned.

"My father did not take his own life. There were signs of a struggle in a nearby field, and his fists were filled with soil," she said during the protest.

"They killed him and staged it as a suicide to cover their tracks," she said.

She blamed Hasan for the murder while alleging that police refused to file a murder case over the incident.

Sumaiya also alleged that Hasan and his men continue to threaten the family.

Efforts to reach Hasan for comments were unsuccessful.

Salahuddin said while the death initially appeared to be a suicide, the body was sent to the Sadar Hospital morgue for a post-mortem given the family's allegations.

"The mystery surrounding the death will be cleared once we receive the postmortem report," he added.