'He Was Mentally Unwell': Family On Bangladeshi Man Killed Over 'Blasphemy'

A 38-year-old man has been beaten to death by a mob in Bangladesh's Satkhira over allegations that he had hurt religious sentiments, police have said. Wahiduzzaman Shamim was targeted after several audio clips purportedly containing his 'blasphemous' remarks went viral on social media, according to a report by The Daily Star. 

The report said police once rescued Shamim from the mob and admitted him to a hospital. But later at night, the group returned and took him away from the hospital to assault him again. The man's condition soon deteriorated, and he died on his way to another hospital. 

Shamim became the target of the mob's anger after several of his audio conversations were shared on social media. Khairul Alam, a local, told Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo that the recordings contained remarks that allegedly offended religious sentiments. 

The audio clips sparked tension in the area, leading to the violence. 

The victim's family, however, has claimed that he had been behaving unusually for several days and was not mentally well. A few days earlier, he had also attempted suicide by consuming poison, the family said. 

Shamim's elder brother Abdul Jalil told the media that a year ago, Shamim, who has a master's degree from Jagannath University, fell victim to a gang locally known as the "Ogyan Party," whose members allegedly drugged and robbed him. Since then, he said, people have noticed a change in Shamim's behaviour.

Debhata Police Station Officer-in-Charge HM Shaheen told Prothom Alo that around 4:40 pm, police received reports that local people had detained and were beating a man. He was then rescued, and he was admitted to Debhata Upazila Health Complex. 

But at 8:40 pm, between 200 and 250 people went to the hospital and obstructed Shamim's treatment. They ignored the objections of the police and hospital staff, took Shamim away, and beat him. 

Police later arrived and brought the situation under control. But by then, Shamim's condition had deteriorated, and he was referred to Satkhira Medical College Hospital. He died on the way to the hospital.