Shankar Saha, a resident of Ward 9 in Char Ishwar Union and father of two, had taken a 2-lakh-taka loan from the Oskhali branch of HEED Bangladesh 8-9 months ago at a 12.5% interest rate. After diligently repaying the loan, he was promised a new one. However, when he visited the NGO office with hopes of securing another loan, he was not only denied but also humiliated. This rejection and insult deeply wounded him, leading to a devastating outcome.
Shankar’s wife, Rinku Saha, said, “At around 5:30 PM, we got a call from the office saying Shankar had consumed poison and was admitted to the hospital. My husband didn’t take poison; this wasn’t suicide—it was murder.” In anguish, she added, “Instead of granting him a loan, the NGO office humiliated him. They called to say he took poison because the unbearable burden of debt crushed his life.”
HEED Bangladesh’s Area Manager, Alok Kumar Haldar, denied the allegations, stating, “Shankar consumed poison himself. A relative informed us he couldn’t repay the loan. He took poison before coming to our office, and when he started vomiting in the bathroom, we sent him to the hospital. There’s no scope for such an act in our office.”
Shankar’s family, however, considers this a fabricated story. They assert, “He was forced to consume poison at the office. This was no accident—it was a cruel murder.”
Dr. Omar Faruk from Hatiya Upazila Health Complex said, “We pumped poison out of Shankar’s stomach. Initial findings suggest he consumed a rodenticide-like poison, which caused his death.” The exact cause awaits confirmation from the autopsy report.
Hatiya Police Station Officer-in-Charge AKM Azmal Huda said, “Upon receiving the news, police recovered the body and sent it to Noakhali General Hospital for an autopsy. Legal action will be taken based on the autopsy results and the family’s allegations.”
This incident has become a painful tale of a debtor’s humiliation, frustration, and tragic end. It has raised questions among locals: Was this merely a suicide, or a brutal murder challenging society’s moral values? The people of Hatiya are seething with anger, demanding justice.
