A 38-year-old man has been beaten to death by a mob in Satkhira, Bangladesh, over allegations of blasphemy — in an attack so brazen that a crowd of 200 to 250 people stormed the hospital where police had taken him for treatment, dragged him from his ward, and beat him again.
How the Attack Unfolded
The victim, Wahiduzzaman Shamim, came under suspicion after audio clips purportedly containing his remarks began circulating on social media. According to The Daily Star, the recordings allegedly contained comments disrespectful toward the Prophet Muhammad. A local man, Fazlul Haque Amini, went live on Facebook identifying the voice in the clips as Shamim's and calling on people to gather.
On the night of Monday, October 12, locals went to Shamim's home; sensing the mob's fury, he attempted suicide by consuming poison, his family said. His brothers took him to a local doctor's chamber in the Kulia area of Debhata.
On Tuesday afternoon around 4:30 p.m., a mob dragged Shamim out of the doctor's chamber and beat him. Police from Debhata Police Station rescued him and admitted him to the Debhata Upazila Health Complex for treatment.
The Hospital Storming
Hours later, at about 8:40 p.m., between 200 and 250 people descended on the hospital. According to Debhata Police Station officer-in-charge HM Shaheen, the crowd obstructed Shamim's treatment, ignored the objections of police, Ansar security members, and hospital staff, and even vandalized hospital property. When they could not get through the front, some broke down a rear door, entered the ward, and beat Shamim in front of other patients before dragging him outside.
Shamim's condition deteriorated and he was referred to Satkhira Medical College Hospital, but he died on the way there. He was declared dead at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday, October 14. Police said his body was sent for an autopsy.
Two Sides of the Story
Shamim's family firmly denies the blasphemy allegations. They say he had been behaving unusually for several days and was mentally unwell. His elder brother Abdul Jalil told media that Shamim holds a master's degree from Jagannath University, and that about a year ago he was drugged and robbed by a gang locally known as the "Ogyan Party" — after which his behavior noticeably changed.
Those who took part in the attack present it very differently. Amini, who led the Facebook Live campaign, said locals had repeatedly heard Shamim make anti-Islamic remarks, and described the killing as justice delivered by the "Tauhidi Janata" — claiming they gave him "a mob beating and sent him away from the world."
Police say the family has not yet filed a complaint, and that action will be taken in accordance with the law.
The case has reignited debate in Bangladesh over mob justice, the spread of unverified allegations on social media, and the treatment of people with mental illness — with Shamim's death now the starkest recent example of all three colliding at once.
Watch: YouTube search: latest news video reports on the Satkhira blasphemy mob attack.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Volatile Reaction (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources
- NDTV: 'He Was Mentally Unwell': Family On Bangladeshi Man Killed Over 'Blasphemy'
- WION: Bangladesh man killed after mob storms hospital over blasphemy allegations
- Country Man: Mob beats patient to death over 'blasphemy' at hospital in Satkhira
- Daily Sun: Mob beats patient to death over 'blasphemy' at hospital in Satkhira