Auto-rickshaw driver beaten to death in Comilla following football match dispute

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A 38-year-old auto-rickshaw driver was beaten to death in Comilla, Bangladesh, following a heated argument over a football match, leaving his young family destitute and in search of justice. The victim, Md. Shariful Islam, a native of Nilphamari, had moved to the city eight months ago to support his wife and two young daughters by driving a battery-operated vehicle.

The incident occurred late Tuesday night at a tea stall in the Dhanpur area of Adarsha Sadar upazila, where locals had gathered to watch a football match between Argentina and Egypt. According to witnesses, the confrontation began when Shariful, a supporter of Brazil who was rooting for Egypt during the match, made a disparaging remark about an Argentine player after a missed penalty.

Eyewitnesses reported that the comment incited a group of local Argentine supporters, who allegedly assaulted Shariful. Despite Shariful’s attempts to escape to a nearby building, his attackers followed him and continued the assault until he collapsed. He was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Shariful’s death has devastated his family, who had harbored hopes of enrolling his two daughters in local schools. His widow, Beauty Banu, expressed her anguish while calling for the perpetrators to face legal consequences, stating that her family’s sole breadwinner had been taken away over a trivial sports dispute. Relatives who traveled from Nilphamari to collect his body at the Comilla Medical College Hospital have echoed these demands for justice.

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Police officials from the Kotwali Model Station confirmed that an autopsy was completed on Wednesday, after which the body was released to the family. Investigations are currently underway to identify and apprehend the suspects, who reportedly fled the area immediately following the incident.

According to the investigating officers, there have been claims that the families of the suspected attackers are attempting to reach a financial settlement to resolve the matter outside of court. However, authorities emphasized that they are actively pursuing the individuals responsible. As of Wednesday evening, no formal case had been filed, though police stated that family members were preparing to initiate legal action. The tea stall where the altercation originated remains closed, and the shopkeeper has not been reachable for comment.