A Bangladeshi expatriate was shot dead in South Africa.
His relatives claim that he was killed after refusing to pay extortion money demanded by a local group.
Maruf Bepari, from Shariatpur’s Damudya Upazila, was shot at his business premises in the Booster area of Cape Town around 10pm on Wednesday, Sidya Union Parishad panel chairman Rubel Akon said.
News of his death reached his family on Thursday, leaving his relatives in mourning. Maruf had moved to South Africa in search of a livelihood and had been running a business there for more than 14 years.
His relatives said a local group had been demanding 500 South African rand every month to allow him to operate his business in the area.
Kamruzzaman Bepari, Maruf’s nephew, said a dispute broke out over the payments after his uncle offered to pay for only one month because his shop had remained closed for two of the past three months.
“This led to an argument. Shortly after the group left, they returned and shot my uncle. We urge the government to take immediate steps to facilitate the repatriation of his body,” he said.
Maruf’s body is being held at a hospital in South Africa. His family has sought government assistance to bring his remains back to Bangladesh.
Damudya Police chief Md Jahangir Alam said he had received information about the incident from the victim’s relatives and was gathering further details.
Rubel urged the government to take steps to protect Bangladeshis living abroad, describing expatriate workers as “remittance warriors” who work hard to send money home.
He said demanding extortion money from people running businesses legally was unethical and urged the government to work with relevant embassies to ensure the safety of Bangladeshi expatriates.