Hundreds of people of Ratanpur village in Khoksa upazila in he district formed a human chain in protest of killing farmer Jasim Uddin and demanded immediate arrest of the killers.

The village people marched from Khoksa Bazar to the Khoksa bus stand on Thursday afternoon ignoring rain.

More than five hundred people from Ratanpur village, including Jasim Uddin’s three children, wife, mother, brother and sister, took part in the protest.

Hussain Mohammad Emdadul Haque, the investigating officer of the case, said efforts were being made to arrest the accused in the murder case. The accused will be arrested soon and handed over to the law.

Union Parsihad (UP) chairman of Ayub Ali Biswas of Khoksa Union Parishad and his men killed Jasim dubbing him a fish stealer brining him at his home on June 15.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Khoksa Police Station Syed Ashiqur Rahman confirmed the incident to The Kushtia Times. He said police had already arrested the chairman’s wife and a nephew and brought them to the police station.

OC Ashikur said the chairman had called him around 4.30am that they had caught a man steal fish from his pond. They want to hand him over to the police. The OC sent a team there. The OC came to know through that team that Jasim Uddin Sheikh had been severely beaten. His condition is critical.

The OC said he arranged to bring Jasim Uddin to Khoksa Upazila Health Center immediately. He was admitted there at around 5.45 am and died at around 6.30 am on Tuesday.

After the incident, the police led by the OC raided the house of the chairman. But the chairman fled the house, said OC Ashikur. Police arrested the chairman’s wife Zahida Begum and the chairman’s nephew Salauddin.

OC said that Salauddin Jasim was directly involved in the beating.

Jashim’s father Raushan said the chairman’s men picked up Jasim from his house around 12pm. Among them was Salauddin, the nephew of the chairman. He knows Jasim is being severely beaten.

Raushan said he contacted the chairman repeatedly and told him that Jasim did not steal any fish. But the chairman scolded him.

OC said the chairman himself, his nephew Salauddin and his three sons were involved in the incident.

Ashraf Ali, a doctor on duty at the emergency of Khaksa Upazila Health Center, said Jasim had died due to severe head and body injuries.

OC said efforts were being made to arrest the chairman and other accused.