Indebted youth hangs himself after seeing BRAC field worker and closing door

Allegations have emerged that a youth named Suman Fakir (30) committed suicide by hanging himself from a pillar of his house due to pressure from a field worker to repay loan installments in Bakerganj, Barisal. Deceased Suman was the son of the late Abdul Rashid Fakir of Madhya Bhatshala village under Faridpur union of the upazila. Late at night on Saturday (April 26), the body was recovered and kept at the police station. This morning, Sunday, police sent the body to the morgue of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

Bakerganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Shafikul Islam, citing family members and locals, said that Suman had taken a loan of Tk 2.5 lakh from the non-governmental organization BRAC. Most recently, on Saturday, BRAC field worker Khaleda Begum went to Suman's house with some people. As soon as Suman saw them, he closed the door of his house. At that time, Khaleda and the people accompanying her applied pressure on Suman to come out of the house and talk about repaying the money.

However, as Suman did not open the door of the house in any way, they eventually left the place. The OC further said that in the evening, family members called Suman to open the door. But not getting any sound from Suman, they looked inside the house through the window and saw Suman hanging by the neck from a pillar. Then they broke the door, went inside the house and saw Suman's body. After knowing the matter late at night, police were sent to recover the body and keep it at the station. This morning, the body was sent to the morgue for autopsy.

The OC said that after the autopsy, the body will be handed over to the family in the afternoon. Regarding this matter, BRAC field worker Khaleda Begum said, "Since taking the loan, Suman started dilly-dallying with the installments. Despite being told repeatedly, he was not paying the installments in any way. Most recently, on Saturday afternoon, when I went to collect the loan money, I saw the door of his house locked. Inquiries were made about Suman at a neighboring house. They informed that Suman was at home. Then, after waiting for Suman for a while, I left from there.

Late at night, I came to know that Suman committed suicide." She stated that there was no fault of hers in this. Khaleda further said, "After I went to Suman's house, I did not meet Suman. Moreover, the door of the house was locked. How did I apply pressure on him there?" The deceased's uncle Motaleb Fakir said, "Khaleda is telling lies. There was no lock on the door of Suman's house. As soon as Khaleda came with people, Suman closed the door and took shelter inside the house. Later his body was brought out."

He claimed that it was due to their pressure that he (Suman) committed suicide. Source: Bangla Tribune