A 20-year-old jeep driver, Toiching Marma, was shot dead in Khagrachhari’s Guimara upazila on Sunday while on his way to collect fuel. He leaves behind his nine-months pregnant wife, Tanu Marma, and a grieving family who allege that his body was later taken by the authorities and cremated without their consent.
According to his father, Holachai Marma, Toiching had shared a meal with him around 11 a.m. before leaving for Ramshu Bazar at the request of his jeep owner. “After that, we couldn’t reach him. We heard he was shot during the clash, but no hospital gave us any information. Finally, at night, I found his body at Khagrachhari morgue,” he told TBS.
The family claims Toiching had no political involvement and was the sole breadwinner of his household. “He never joined rallies or meetings. He married just a year ago and was struggling to support the family by driving a jeep. Now my daughter-in-law is left a widow before even becoming a mother,” Holachai said, adding that the family seeks government support for his son’s widow.
His elder brother, Ukhyaching Marma, alleged that the authorities denied the family custody of the body. “On Monday night, they brought the body and cremated it themselves. We were only allowed to see his face, which was badly disfigured. We heard he was first shot in the leg and then beaten,” he said.
The incident unfolded amid violent clashes in Ramshu Bazar, sparked by an indefinite blockade called by the group Jumma Chhatra-Janata protesting the recent gang rape of a Marma teenager. During the confrontation between local residents, law enforcement, and protestors, three Marma residents, including Toiching, were killed, and at least 16 others — including members of the security forces — were injured.
The bodies of the deceased were cremated on Monday night following autopsies.
