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CCTV footage of the murder event gone viral on social media
On 9 July 2025, Mohammad Sohag, a 39-year-old scrap dealer also known as Lal Chand, was publicly stripped, hacked, stoned to death, and his corpse stomped on in front of Mitford Hospital in Old Dhaka, Bangladesh.[1][2] The graphic nature of the killing and its circulation on social media sparked widespread public outrage and ignited debates concerning the country’s political climate, social tensions, and law and order situation.[3][4]
The victim, Sohag, was being extorted out of money from local Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal leaders.[5] The case received widespread traction after a video of the victim getting beaten up in front of hundreds of public was publicized on social media.[6] After the 2024 July Revolution, one of the largest political party of Bangladesh, BNP along with their party wings, had allegations of money extortion, and other post-resignation violence.[7]
Event
The incident took place on 9 July 2025 on the main road in front of Gate No. 3 of Mitford Hospital in Old Dhaka. According to eyewitnesses and video footage, an armed group dragged Sohag from his store and threw him on the road. Then, several people hit his body and head with heavy concrete boulders.[8][5] The beating continued after Sohag had died. No bystanders intervened during the beating.[9]
Initial police investigations suggested the beating was motivated by business disputes, extortion disputes, and past enmity.[10] According to local residents, Sohag had been involved in the scrap metal and old electrical cable business in Rajni Ghosh Lane in Old Dhaka for a long time. The dispute arose from competition for dominance in this business and the formation of syndicates.[2]
Many of those involved in the incident were identified as members of various political wings of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).[13] In particular, some leaders and activists of BNP-affiliated organizations Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal, and Swechchhasebak Dal were identified in the video footage.[14] Immediately after this, these organizations expelled their four members for life.[15]
Public reaction
After the video of the killing was published online, netizens on Facebook began to share it across other social media. It rapidly gained traction three days after the killing. BNP was heavily criticized both online and offline for their alleged extortion and murder cases, and feared on what would happen if the party came to power after the next elections.[citation needed]
There were protests around different parts of the country, demanding justice for Sohag.[5]
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