Mohammad Shariful Islam, 38, from Uttar Cheranga village in Jaldhaka upazila of Nilphamari, moved to Cumilla about eight months ago in search of work. He brought his wife, Beauty Banu, and their two daughters with him.
The family lived in a rented house in the Mathpushkarani area of ward no. 23 in Cumilla city.
Shariful earned a living by driving a battery-powered rickshaw. After paying the daily rental fee to the vehicle owner, he supported his family with whatever income remained.
Shariful, the family's sole breadwinner, was killed following a minor altercation while watching a FIFA World Cup football match on television.
The incident occurred after he became involved in an argument with several local youths during the Argentina–Egypt match. The youths allegedly assaulted him, and he died from his injuries.
The attack took place at around 12:00 midnight on Tuesday at Mohsin Mia's shop in Dhanpur, Durgapur Union, under Adarsha Sadar upazila.
According to local residents and witnesses, the men who assaulted the auto-rickshaw driver were Argentina supporters. Although Shariful supported Egypt during Tuesday night's match, he was primarily a Brazil supporter.
Following the incident, Shariful's family has been inconsolable. His wife, Beauty Banu, has repeatedly fainted while grieving.
Speaking through tears at their rented home on Wednesday afternoon, she said, “How can people kill someone over a football match? I have two daughters. Who will they call father now? My two daughters have become orphans. I want the harshest punishment for those who killed my husband. I am a poor and helpless woman. How will I raise my two daughters now? My entire family has been destroyed.”
Shariful's two daughters had been studying in Nilphamari before the family moved to Cumilla. His elder daughter was in class-VI, while the younger was in class-V. Shariful had planned to enrol them in a school in Cumilla, but he could no longer fulfil that dream.
After receiving the news, Shariful's relatives, including his father-in-law Matiur Rahman, mother-in-law Nur Banu and brother Saiful Islam, travelled from Nilphamari to Cumilla.
A post-mortem examination of Shariful's body was completed at Cumilla Medical College Hospital on Wednesday. Police handed over the body to the family later that afternoon.
However, as of 5:00 pm on Wednesday, no lawsuit had been filed with Cumilla Kotwali model police station, and police had not detained anyone in connection with the killing.
Sub-Inspector Sankar Kanti Das, officer-in-charge of the Cantonment police outpost under Kotwali model police station, visited the scene on Tuesday night.
Speaking to Prothom Alo on Wednesday, he said police had handed over the body to the family.
“The family members said they are deciding among themselves who will file the case as the complainant. Police are trying to arrest those involved in the incident,” he added.
Another auto-rickshaw driver witnessed the incident and accompanied Shariful to hospital. He is also from Nilphamari.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said they had all been watching the match at Mohsin Mia’s tea stall, where many people had gathered.
He said that when Messi missed a penalty early in the match, Shariful told an Argentina supporter, “Your father could not score a goal.”
According to him, that remark triggered the argument. Several people then assaulted Shariful at the scene. As the attackers were local residents, Shariful later moved to a nearby mess for safety, but the assailants followed him there and assaulted him again.
Shariful eventually collapsed on the ground in front of the tea stall. They took him to hospital, where a physician declared him dead.
Since the incident, Mohsin Mia’s tea stall has remained closed. Newspersons made several calls on Wednesday morning to the mobile phones of Mohsin Mia and his son Ariful Islam, but neither answered.
Both phones were switched off from the afternoon onwards. Local residents said the two youths identified as the main instigators of the assault had gone into hiding.
Local sources also alleged that their families had been trying to settle the matter by offering money to Shariful’s family.
Shariful’s father-in-law, Matiur Rahman, said, “I received a call last night telling me to come to Cumilla quickly because my son-in-law was ill. We rushed to Cumilla immediately.”
“When we arrived, we found Shariful’s body. What kind of society and what kind of country is this? How could people kill a man over an argument during a football match? How will my daughter survive now with her two daughters? We want the authorities to arrest those involved immediately and ensure justice,” he added.
Touhidul Anwar, officer-in-charge of Kotwali model police station, told Prothom Alo that police had initially learned that the people involved were local youths.
He said an argument broke out after the Argentina–Egypt match, during which they punched Shariful in the head. They later took him to hospital, where a physician declared him dead. He added that police were trying to arrest those involved in the incident.
