A Bangladesh mob twice assaulted Wahiduzzaman Shamim over alleged remarks offending religious sentiments. The second attack occurred inside a hospital after police had rescued him.

A man died in Bangladesh after being beaten by a mob twice over allegations that he had made remarks offending religious sentiments. Police rescued him after the first assault and took him to a hospital, but a group of people later entered the facility, dragged him out of his ward and assaulted him again, despite objections from police personnel and medical staff, according to local media.

Wahiduzzaman Shamim, who was in his 30s, died while being taken to Satkhira Medical College Hospital after his condition deteriorated. The incident took place in Debhata upazila, which is an administrative subdistrict of Satkhira district in southwestern Bangladesh.

According to reports by Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, the violence followed the circulation of an audio clip on social media that contained remarks by Shamim that offended religious sentiments. The allegations triggered anger in the locality.

HOW THE ATTACK UNFOLDED

Debhata Police Station Officer-in-Charge HM Shaheen told Prothom Alo that police received information at around 4:30 PM (local time) on Tuesday that local people had detained and were beating a man. Officers reached the scene, rescued Shamim and admitted him to Debhata Upazila Health Complex for treatment.

The violence did not end with his admission to hospital.

At around 8:40 PM, Shaheen told Prothom Alo that between 200 and 250 people gathered at the hospital and ignored objections from police, Ansar members and doctors. The Ansar are a security force in Bangladesh that assists with maintaining public order and other security duties.

According to the police officer, the group eventually broke down a rear door, entered the ward, took Shamim away and beat him again in front of other patients before dragging him outside.

Shamim’s condition worsened following the second attack. He was referred to Satkhira Medical College Hospital for further treatment but died while being taken there. He was declared dead at the hospital at around 1 AM on Wednesday. Police said his body was sent to Satkhira Sadar Hospital for an autopsy.

REMARKS ON PROPHET MUHAMMAD TRIGGER TENSION

Police said the incident followed the circulation of an audio clip on social media. According to The Daily Star, the allegations concerned comments said to be disrespectful towards the Prophet Muhammad.

Videos of the incident also circulated on Facebook. One showed Shamim lying on the ground as a crowd gathered around him, with several people recording the scene on their mobile phones.

Another video showed people marching through Debhata’s administrative headquarters at night, chanting slogans demanding punishment over the allegations. The footage also captured people urging others to go to the hospital where Shamim was receiving treatment.

FAMILY SAYS SHAMIM HAD BEEN DISTRESSED

Shamim’s family said his behaviour had changed in the period before the incident.

His elder brother, Abdul Jalil, told The Daily Star that Shamim had earned a master’s degree from Jagannath University. Jalil claimed that about a year earlier, Shamim had been drugged and robbed by a gang while returning home from Dhaka. Such gangs are locally referred to as an “ogyan party”.

Jalil said Shamim’s behaviour had changed noticeably after that incident.

Family members also said Shamim had attempted to take his own life by consuming poison on Tuesday. Jalil told The Daily Star that Shamim appeared distressed amid threats from people following the spread of the audio clips.

According to his brother, family members were taking Shamim to a local doctor when a group of people began beating him in the Sakhipur area. He was subsequently taken to the health complex, where he suffered the second assault.

POLICE SAY LEGAL ACTION DEPENDS ON COMPLAINT

Shaheen told Prothom Alo that police later brought the situation at the hospital under control. He also said the family had not filed a complaint at the police station.

Asked about further action, the officer said that action would be taken in accordance with the law if a complaint was received.

The available information did not establish whether any arrests had been made in connection with the fatal assaults.