Missing Customs Officer’s Body Found After 12 Hours on Highway

Police have recovered the body of Bullet Bairagi (35), a Customs officer who went missing while traveling from Chittagong to Dhaka. His body was found on Saturday (April 25) morning near the Irish Hotel in the Kotbari area along the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, ending a 12-hour frantic search by his family.

Bullet Bairagi, son of Sushil Bairagi from the Panpatti area of Cumilla, was an official of the Customs, Excise, and VAT department at the Dhaka Customs Office. He had been in Chittagong to attend the 44th Foundation Training Course.

According to family members and police sources, Bullet Bairagi left for Chittagong for official training on April 11. After completing his session, he boarded a bus from Chittagong’s Alankar Mor toward Dhaka at approximately 11:00 PM on Friday (April 24).

He remained in contact with his family during the journey. His last phone call was recorded at 2:25 AM, where he informed them that he had reached the Tomchombridge intersection in Cumilla city. However, when he failed to arrive home and his phone went dead shortly after, his father filed a General Diary (GD) with the Cumilla Kotwali Model Thana on Saturday morning.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Maynamati Highway Police Station, Md. Abdul Momin, stated that they responded to a call from the national emergency service (999). Police recovered the body of an unidentified man from the sidewalk near the Irish Hotel and Restaurant on the highway. By 1:00 PM Saturday, family members arrived at the station and officially identified the deceased as Bullet Bairagi.

While no major external injury marks were visible on the body, the OC noted that his face was somewhat bloodied. The body has since been sent to Cumilla Medical College Hospital for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Bullet Bairagi was an alumnus of the 5th batch of the Finance Department at Jagannath University (JnU). His tragic death has sparked intense anger and grief among the student community. The Jagannath University Central Students' Union (JnUCSU) issued a formal protest statement signed by AGS Md. Masud Rana.

The statement described the incident as a "brutal murder" and a significant loss for the nation. "The fact that a responsible state official and a promising young talent could be lost this way raises deep concerns about the country's law and order situation," the statement read. JnUCSU demanded the immediate identification and arrest of those involved, along with exemplary punishment and compensation for the grieving family.

Local authorities have assured that a thorough investigation is underway, and legal proceedings will follow once the autopsy report is finalized.