Trader stabbed dead after 'refusing extortion' in Cox’s Bazar

A grocery shop owner was stabbed to death on Saturday after reportedly refusing to pay extortion money in Cox’s Bazar town.

The deceased, Ganesh Pal, 35, owned a grocery shop at Borobazar area, police said.

According to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Md Chhomi Uddin, the incident occurred around 3:00 PM at Dakshin Sahityika Palli area, near a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) camp.

Ganesh’s wife, Shefali Pal, and his brother, Ashish Pal, alleged that their neighbour, Jishan, had been demanding extortion money from the family and had previous disputes with them over the issue.

They claimed that Jishan attacked Ganesh in the afternoon when he refused to pay the money. Ganesh was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead by the on-duty doctor.

Police said officers visited the scene after receiving the report.

“Preliminary findings suggest that the accused, Jishan, who is locally known for petty criminal activities, demanded money from Ganesh Pal. When he refused, an argument broke out and Jishan suddenly took out a knife and stabbed him twice,” the OC said.

Ganesh sustained critical injuries in the attack and later died from them, he added.

The body has been sent to Cox's Bazar General hospital for an autopsy and police have already launched an operation to arrest the accused, added the OC.