Fact Check /Video of Pharmacy Dispute in Meherpur Falsely Shared as Extortion-Related Killing

A video has been circulating on social media claiming that a BNP leader named Monir beat a pharmacy owner to death after he refused to pay extortion money for a reception ceremony organized in honor of a Member of Parliament (MP).

A Facebook account named "Md. Yasin Khan" shared the video with the claim on June 20. The post appears to be the most widely circulated version. As of 11:43 a.m. today (June 23), the video had been viewed more than 269,000 times. It had also received around 1,100 reactions, 109 comments, and over 3,200 shares.

A review of the comments shows that most users believed the claim to be true, expressing outrage and strongly criticizing the government.

Ajker Patrika Investigation

The post does not mention when or where the incident took place. The video shows a man sitting inside a pharmacy when another man standing outside strikes him twice with a wooden door frame. The victim cries out, saying, "Oh, mother," before collapsing to the floor.

An investigation found no reports in mainstream media supporting the viral claim.

However, a video posted on the Facebook page "Barta Meherpur" was found. The footage between the 17th and 23rd seconds of the 28-second video is identical to the viral clip. In the video, someone can be heard saying, "Don't go too far, don't go too far," before several people are heard shouting "Shahin, Shahin." Moments later, a man strikes the person sitting inside the pharmacy with a wooden door frame.

The caption of the "Barta Meherpur" video states that Shafiqul, an employee of Maisha Pharmacy, was seriously injured after being attacked by Shahin, the owner of Sonali Pharmacy, in front of Meherpur General Hospital. It further claims that Shafiqul was admitted to Meherpur General Hospital and later referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital due to the severity of his injuries. The same information was also found in several other posts.

To verify the incident, the Ajker Patrika fact-checking team contacted its Meherpur correspondent, Rakibul Islam. After conducting an on-site inquiry, he confirmed that Mohammad Shafiqul Islam (35), an employee of Maisha Pharmacy, was allegedly assaulted with a stick by Mohammad Shahin Ahmed, the owner of Sonali Pharmacy. The incident occurred on Friday (June 19) in front of the gate of Meherpur General Hospital.

Shafiqul Islam, the son of Mohammad Shahabuddin of Baganpara village in Gopalnagar, Meherpur, is currently undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

According to several local residents, Maisha Pharmacy and Sonali Pharmacy are located directly opposite each other in the same alley. As patients exited Meherpur General Hospital, Shafiqul would call them over to purchase medicine from Maisha Pharmacy. An argument broke out between Shafiqul and Shahin over attracting customers. At one point, Shahin struck Shafiqul on the ear with a wooden door frame while he was sitting inside the pharmacy. Shafiqul was first taken to Meherpur General Hospital in critical condition and later referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

Shafiqul's mother, Sufia Begum, said, "I first heard from others that my son had been attacked. I couldn't even bring myself to watch the video because it would have been too painful. Later, when I saw it, I realized how brutally he had been beaten. Only Allah knows what will happen to my son. No one could have imagined that a dispute over calling patients would lead to such a terrible incident. He is the only earning member of our family. Now he is lying in the hospital in agony. He has two young children. I don't know how I will support the family or pay for his treatment."

Humayun Kabir, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Meherpur Sadar Police Station, said that Shafiqul Islam's family has filed a case in connection with the incident. The accused has been absconding since the attack, and police are trying to arrest him.

Conclusion

The claim that a pharmacy owner was beaten to death for refusing to pay extortion money for an MP's reception ceremony is fabricated. The video actually shows an altercation in Meherpur in which the owner of one pharmacy assaulted an employee of another pharmacy following a dispute over soliciting customers leaving the hospital.