A fisherman’s body was discovered floating four days after being beaten and dumped into the water. Four days after being beaten and thrown into the sea for protesting illegal sand extraction in the Sandwip Channel near Barabkunda, Sitakunda, the body of a fisherman named Ram Joldas (32) was recovered by the naval police.
A fisherman’s body was discovered: On Friday (February 21) morning, his body was found floating in the sea near Guliakhali Beach in Muradpur Union, Sitakunda Upazila.
The victim, Ram Joldas, was the son of the late Shital Joldas from the fishermen’s neighborhood in Madhyam Mahmudabad village of Barabkunda Union.
Inspector Wali Uddin Akbar of the Kumira Naval Police Outpost stated that Ram’s body was found floating in the tidal waters of Guliakhali Beach. When the tide receded, local fishermen saw the body lying in the mud and informed his family. Upon receiving the news, naval police officers arrived and recovered the body.
According to police sources, on Monday (February 17) at around 10:30 AM, Ram had gone fishing in the sea with his younger brother, Liton Joldas. At that time, some individuals were illegally extracting sand using a dredger near their fishing net and loading it onto a bulkhead (sand-carrying vessel). The bulkhead’s propeller became entangled in their fishing net. When Ram protested as they attempted to cut the net, the sand extractors became enraged and struck him on the head. They then beat him up and threw him into the sea, after which he went missing.
After throwing Ram into the sea, the assailants also abducted his younger brother, Liton, and took him to Chairman Ghat in Hatiya Upazila, Noakhali. Later, naval police officers rescued Liton.
With the assistance of the Gausia Committee, the naval police recovered Ram’s body and sent it to the morgue of Chittagong Medical College Hospital for an autopsy.
Ram’s wife, Kanika Joldas, has filed a case for murder and abduction in connection with the incident. The naval police have arrested six individuals in relation to the case.
