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Police in Bangladesh have launched a major homicide investigation following the gruesome discovery of a British national’s body in a remote wetland, ending a frantic three-day search with a tragic conclusion. The victim, identified as 59-year-old Borhan Uddin Shafi, was found bound and burned in the Zakiganj area, sending shockwaves through the local community and the British-Bangladeshi diaspora. It remains unclear whether the premeditated murder of this UK expatriate was driven by a prior feud or other motives, Daily Dazzling Dawn realised. Shafi, the victim, came to the UK with his father over 40 years ago. He lived in Southport. He was known as a businessman and a former footballer.
The grim timeline began when Shafi arrived in Bangladesh from the United Kingdom on January 28 for a personal visit. He was staying at his residence in the Amberkhana area of Sylhet city. Concerns were raised on January 30 when Shafi departed on a motorcycle around 7:30 PM, intending to travel to Kulaura. He never arrived at his destination. As communication was lost, his worried relatives filed a missing person diary at the Sylhet Airport Police Station. The gravity of the situation prompted Shafi's two brothers to immediately fly from London to Bangladesh to assist in the search for their missing sibling.
The mystery of his disappearance came to a horrifying end on Tuesday afternoon. Locals in the Zakiganj upazila spotted a body lying in the Konarband Haor, a wetland area situated between Sultanpur and Bilpar. Police were immediately notified and recovered the remains, which bore the marks of a calculated and savage execution. Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the body showed distinct signs of being set on fire, and a rope was found tightly coiled around the victim's neck. In a detail that suggests a distinct attempt to destroy forensic evidence, a packet of salt was discovered next to the body, a method often used by killers to accelerate decomposition and hide the victim's identity.
Identity was established swiftly thanks to the intervention of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Forensic teams utilized fingerprint technology to match the victim to the missing British national. Following the forensic match, Shafi’s devastated family members were brought to the scene where they formally identified the body.
Officer-in-Charge Abdur Razzaq of the Zakiganj Police Station confirmed the recovery and identification, stating that specialized police units are working tirelessly to uncover the motive behind the abduction and murder. While Shafi was originally a native of Jagannathpur in Sunamganj, the brutality of his death in Zakiganj has alarmed the region. Authorities are now treating the case as a high-priority homicide, investigating whether the expatriate was targeted specifically for his wealth or status as a foreign resident. As the investigation deepens, the community waits for answers regarding who orchestrated this horrific end to a visit home.
