Daijiworld Media Network – Dhaka

Dhaka, Feb 12: The body of a 28-year-old tea garden worker was recovered from a plantation in northeastern Bangladesh on the eve of elections, police said on Wednesday.

The deceased has been identified as Ratan Shuvo Kar, an employee at Champara Tea Garden under Islampur union in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar district, around 190 km from the capital Dhaka, according to a report in The Daily Star. The information was confirmed by Kamalganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdul Awal.

Local residents discovered the body around 10 am inside the tea estate and immediately alerted the authorities. Police who rushed to the spot found that the victim’s hands and feet were tied.

Residents said the body bore visible injury marks and appeared bloodied when found. A tea garden worker, requesting anonymity, told the daily that Ratan might have been killed elsewhere and his body later dumped in the plantation.

The victim’s elder brother, Laxman Kar, said the family had been searching for him since the previous night. “This morning, we were informed that his body was lying in the garden. We went there and identified him. We do not know why he was killed,” he said.

With voting scheduled for the following day, some locals speculated about a possible connection to the election. However, police have said there is no evidence at present to suggest any such link.

The body has been sent to Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital for post-mortem examination. An investigation has been launched to identify those responsible for the killing, OC Abdul Awal said.