Two youths killed following argument at Cox's Bazar bar

Two youths have been killed in clashes following an argument centring on an unidentified issue at "Renaissance The Grand Hotel & Coxy Bar" in Cox's Bazar city.

Deceased Najibul Haque Rashed, 27, and Sulaiman, alias Salman, 29, were residents of Nuniarchhara and BDR Camp areas respectively of the district town.

Rashed died soon after the clashes on Thursday night and Salman succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College and Hospital this morning (28 August).

Cox's Bazar Additional Superintendent of Police Ahidul Islam said, "We're trying to determine what the argument was about and working to identify those involved and bring them to justice."

CCTV footage collected from the hotel and surrounding area shows Tajuar Haque Radhi, a listed criminal of the city's Khurushqul Rastermatha area, and his friend Salam entering the bar around 11pm on Thursday and staying there.

Tarique, manager of the bar, said victim Rashed and four others, including one Ansar, a resident of ward No-2 of the city, entered the hotel around 11:30pm and were drinking alcohol. 

At one stage, they got locked into an argument over an undisclosed issue.

Later, Ansar called his two fellows to the bar, and they all attacked Rashed with a broken glass bottle and a knife before attempting to flee. 

Besides, Salman grabbed Rashed while Radhi struck him with a glass bottle, leaving him critically injured and he collapsed downstairs while trying to go down.

Locals rescued him and took him to a hospital where doctors declared him dead upon arrival. Meanwhile, Salman was detained and beaten by the public, said Sheikh Mohammad Ali, officer-in-charge of Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station.

Being informed, Rashed's relatives rushed to the hotel and caught Salman. 

A local shopkeeper, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the relatives took Salman to Rashed's area where he was allegedly beaten again before being turned over to police.

Police took Salman to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital and later shifted him to the Chittagong Medical College where he died this morning, the OC said.  

While visiting the hotel, Ahidul Islam said people of different ages were drinking alcohol at the hotel during the incident. However, none had valid permits to consume alcohol. Many underage people were also seen drinking at the bar.

The police official said as per the law, bars must verify whether customers have valid permits before selling alcohol to them or allowing them to consume it on the premises. However, allegations of bars in Cox's Bazar selling alcohol without checking valid permits are longstanding.

He said the district administration and the Department of Narcotics Control are responsible for checking such permits at bars. Once the two government agencies are informed, the police will take necessary action in this regard.

Neither a case was filed nor was anyone detained as of around 8pm on Friday, the OC added.