Gazipur (Bangladesh): A 55-year-old Hindu sweetshop owner was beaten to death with a shovel in Bangladesh’s Gazipur district while trying to protect his teenage employee from an assault, police said on Saturday.

The victim, Liton Chandra Ghosh, also known as Kali, owned Baishakhi Sweetmeat and Hotel, located on Baranagar Road, where the incident took place. According to police and eyewitnesses, the violence erupted following a minor dispute that quickly spiralled into a fatal attack.

The incident began around 11 am on Saturday when 28-year-old Masum Mia entered the sweetshop and got into a verbal altercation with Ananta Das, a 17-year-old employee. What started as an argument over a trivial issue soon escalated into a physical confrontation, drawing the attention of people nearby.

Shortly thereafter, Masum Mia’s parents — Mohammad Swapan Mia (55) and Majeda Khatun (45) — arrived at the shop and allegedly joined the assault. Seeing his young employee under attack, Liton Ghosh intervened in an attempt to protect Ananta Das and calm the situation.

However, Ghosh was also attacked during the scuffle. He was struck on the head with a shovel, sustaining critical injuries. He died on the spot due to the severity of the blow, police said.

Local residents rushed to the scene after the violence broke out, detained Masum Mia and his parents, and later handed them over to the police. The accused have been taken into custody, and further investigation into the incident is underway.

Police said legal proceedings have been initiated, while the killing has triggered shock and outrage among residents of the area.