The body of Abul Hasnat Muhammad Sohel Rana, a teacher from the Technical School and College in Khagrachhari, who was killed by a mob after being accused of raping a schoolgirl from the Tripura community, has been handed over to his family.
After completing all the necessary legal formalities, the authorities handed over his body to his family early Thursday.
Md Toufikul Alam, Additional Superintendent of Police for Khagrachhari Sadar Circle, confirmed that Rana's wife and relatives received his remains from the Khagrachhari Modern District Sadar Hospital. Security was provided for the family as they transported the body to their village home in Tangail, up to the Ramgarh border of the district.
Alam also mentioned that the police are in the process of filing a murder case at the Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station to address the violent incident that led to Rana’s death.
In an effort to maintain peace in Khagrachhari following the incident, Brigadier General Sharif Md Aman Hasan, the Khagrachhari Region Commander of the Bangladesh Army, held a meeting with local hill leaders.
The meeting, held on Thursday at the conference room of the Khagrachhari Region, focused on promoting peace and unity within the community.
Key hill leaders attending the meeting included Madhu Mangal Chakma, Dr Sudhin Kumar Chakma, Dr Shahid Talukder, Probin Chandra Chakma, Mrasathwai Marma, Shepalika Tripura, and Sushil Jibon Tripura.
Brigadier General Hasan urged the leaders to prevent further conflicts and collaborate with law enforcement to ensure that legal action is taken against those responsible for the violence.
The Region Commander also reassured the participants that he had been in contact with Bengali community leaders, who pledged their support for a thorough investigation and legal proceedings to hold the guilty parties accountable.
The violence erupted on October 1 when a group of hill students attacked and killed Abul Hasnat Muhammad Sohel Rana, the head of the department at Khagrachhari Technical School and College.
The students accused him of attempting to rape a seventh-grade student from the Tripura community, who also attended the same institution. The incident triggered widespread unrest, including clashes, vandalism, and arson throughout the town.
In response to the escalating violence, the district administration imposed Section 144, a preventive measure to ban large gatherings, in Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila and the municipal town starting at 3:00 pm on Tuesday. However, after the situation stabilized, the restrictions were lifted at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
