An elderly cleaning worker of Methikanda Railway Station in Narsingdi who was assaulted by assailants to rob her savings, succumbed to her injuries Tuesday night, Raipura upazila administrator Masud Rana said.

Boby Begum, known as the “Mother” of Methikanda, breathed her last while being transferred from Raipura Upazila Health Complex to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital in an ambulance for advanced treatment.

A few days earlier, the speech-impaired woman was brutally assaulted by several muggers to rob the money she saved over the years at the station. Since then, she fell sick.

As news of the incident spread, it sparked outrage on social media.

Masud Rana said police had been ordered to arrest the culprits as quickly as possible.

According to local residents, nearly 30 years ago, Boby got off a train that had stopped at Methikanda Railway Station and she never left afterward. 

Gradually, the station became her shelter, her address, and the only place she called home.

For years, without receiving any salary, she voluntarily swept the station platform, kept the premises clean, cleaned the public toilets, and performed various other maintenance tasks. Even as old age weakened her, she never stopped working.

Recognizing her situation, railway authorities allowed the woman, who had no known family, to stay in an abandoned room at the station. That small room became her home.

Boby was a familiar face around the station. Local residents, shopkeepers, and passengers all knew her. Some would offer her food, while others would hand her five or ten taka.

Despite living in poverty, she rarely spent the money she received. Instead, she carefully saved it over the years. Locals believe she had accumulated those modest savings over 20 to 25 years. Tragically, those savings ultimately became the reason she lost her life.

At around 2:00 a.m. last Saturday, Bobi Begum was asleep in her room at the station when several assailants allegedly broke in and demanded the money she had saved. When she refused to hand it over, they severely beat her.

After punching her in the face and assaulting her on different parts of her body, the attackers searched the room, found the money she had hidden, and fled.

Station Master S. M. Jasim said police and the local administration visited the crime scene and collected CCTV footage from the station as part of their investigation.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mojibur Rahman of Raipura Police Station told Daily Waadaa that a case has been filed with Bhairab Railway Police Station. He said the suspects have been on the run since the incident and that operations to arrest them are continuing.