Fruit trader beaten to death by ‘muggers’

A fruit trader was beaten to death allegedly by muggers in Gazipur early yesterday.

The deceased, Momen Sheikh, 50, hailed from Kaliganj upazila.

Siraj Mia, younger brother of the deceased, said, "Like other days, Momen was going to Chandna Chowrasta to buy fruits on a battery-run auto-rickshaw around 5:30am."

"As the vehicle reached the Hankata bridge area, a group of muggers on a pick-up van intercepted it," he added, quoting the auto-rickshaw driver.

"The robbers demanded money from Momen. As he refused, they hit him with an iron rod and ran away. Momen died on the spot," he said.

Ziaul Islam, officer-in-charge of Gazipur Sadar Police Station, said the body was sent to the morgue of Shaheed Taj Uddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital for post-mortem.

"Police are investigating the murder," he added.