Family calls customs official’s death murder, demands justice

Customs official Bullet Bairagi, 35, was found dead in a footpath in Cumilla on Saturday April 25 morning, about 12 hours after he went missing.

Cumilla, Apr 26 — A case has been filed over the death of a customs official who went missing while returning to Dhaka after completing training in Chattogram.

The case was filed on Saturday night at Cumilla Sadar Dakshin Police Station by the victim’s mother, Nileema Bairagi, said OC Sirajul Mostofa.

Nileema Bairagi alleged that her son’s death was not accidental in any way, but a murder.

She demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible and exemplary punishment.

Additional Superintendent of Police (DSB) of Cumilla, Istiak Hasan Amin, said that several police teams are working to find out the real cause of the incident. The investigation is ongoing.

Meanwhile, after completing legal formalities, the body was taken to his village home in Tungipara, Gopalganj, on Sunday morning.

Earlier, he was given a final tribute at his workplace. His colleagues paid their last respects with floral wreaths. The atmosphere at the customs office became emotional, with colleagues and relatives in tears.

The victim, known as Bullet Bairagi, had a baby son, Abyay Bairagi, who is due to turn one on April 27.

Police recovered the body of Bullet Bairagi, 35, from a footpath in Cumilla on Saturday morning, about 12 hours after he went missing.

He was an Assistant Revenue Officer in the Customs, Excise and VAT Department. He was attending the 44th Basic Training Course in Chattogram.

According to family sources, Bairagi went to Chattogram on April 11 for official training. After completing the course, he left for Dhaka by bus from Alankar intersection in Chattogram around 11:00pm on Friday.

He remained in contact with his family during the journey. At around 2:25am, he last informed them that he had reached Tomchom Bridge intersection in Cumilla city. After that, his mobile phone was switched off and he could no longer be reached.

Unable to trace him, his father, Sushil Bairagi, filed a general diary (GD) with Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station on Saturday morning.

Md Abdul Momin, Officer-in-Charge of Moynamati Highway Police Station, said police recovered the body of an unidentified man from a footpath beside the Irish Hotel and Restaurant on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway after receiving a call to the national emergency service 999.

Later around 1:00pm, family members identified the body as Bullet Bairagi.

The OC said no major injury marks were found on the body, although the face appeared slightly bloodstained. - UNB