Students of Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital in Dhaka, popularly known as Mitford Hospital, declared an indefinite shutdown on Sunday, protesting the lack of security on campus following the lynching of scrap trader Lal Chand (also known as Sohag) near the hospital premises on Wednesday. They made the announcement during a protest rally on the medical college ground.

“Patients should not feel unsafe while seeking treatment, and we should not attend classes in fear,” a student said, warning that the shutdown would persist unless demands—including banning outsiders, clearing makeshift shops, enhanced Ansar presence, and improved security—were met.

On 9 July 2025, around 6:00 pm, the 39-year-old scrap trader Lal Chand (alias Sohag) was brutally attacked outside Gate No. 3 of Mitford Hospital. CCTV footage and witness accounts show that assailants used bricks, concrete blocks, iron rods, sticks, and stones to beat him. His head and body were crushed, he was stripped naked, and some attackers were seen stomping on his body even after he fell unconscious and died. The attackers reportedly celebrated afterwards by dancing around the body.

The murder is believed to have been fuelled by a business dispute and attempts to extort Tk 2 lakh per month from him, which he had refused, according to the victim’s family.

Victim mistakenly identified as Hindu

Notably, several Indian media reports claimed that Lal Chand was Hindu. Headlines in reports of NDTV, India Today and several other media houses said that he was a Hindu. But actually, he was Muslim, and his mortal remains were buried his mother’s grave in a family graveyard in Islampur village. Moreover, the names of his family members reported by Bangladeshi media reveal that he was a Muslim.

His father was Ayub Ali, who died in a lightning strike when Sohag was seven months old. His mother is Aleya Begum, who moved to Dhaka with her children to earn a livelihood, after her husband’s death.

Lal Chand’s sister is Sajeda Begum, and his wife is Lucky Begum, while the name of his one uncle is Md Montu Mia. His two children are named Sohan and Sohana, and he had named his shop Sohana Metal.

It is now known why Lal Chand was identified as Hindu by several media reports. Perhaps, it was assumed that Lal Chand is a Hindu name.

Gang killed Lal Chand for not paying monthly amount

Both the sister and the wife said that a criminal gang had been extorting Tk 2 lakh monthly from the shop for years. But Sohag had refused to make the payment. On Wednesday, the gang members lured him out of his home, detained him, and then lynched him near the hospital gate.

Sohag’s sister Sajeda Begum said, “My brother ran his business for 10-15 years. The gang demanded Tk 2 lakh every month and even tried to seize his business. When he refused, they called him out, beat him, and stoned him to death.” Similarly, his wife Lucky Begum said, “They couldn’t tolerate my husband’s success. They demanded Tk 2 lakh monthly, and when he refused, they killed him.” She demanded capital punishment for the culprits.

Similarly, Bithi Akter, Lal Chand’s niece, stated, “The accused had asked my uncle to give them Tk 2 lakh and a portion of his income every month. My uncle did not agree, and for this, they killed him so brutally”. She also alleged that some of the accused are members of Jubo Dal, the youth wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Some suspects belong to various wings of BNP

A total of five suspects have been arrested in the case so far, Mahmudul Hasan Mohin (41), named the prime suspect, Tarek Rahman Robin (22), Alamgir (28) Monir alias Lomba Monir (32), and Titon Gazi (32). A pistol was recovered from Robin.

A murder case, listing 19 named accused and 15-20 unidentified individuals, was filed at Kotwali Police Station by Lal Chand’s sister Monjuara Begum.

Some of the accused are members of various wings of Bangladesh Nationalist Party. BNP has expelled five people involved in the crime from Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal.

Initial investigations suggest the motive of the brutal murder was fierce competition and territorial conflict over the scrap trade syndicate operating around Rajani Bose Lane in Old Dhaka.