A grocery shop owner was hacked to death by a group of assailants in the Bakir Mor area of Rajshahi city early Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Abdul Bari, 40, son of Badrul Sarkar, of the same area.

According to the victim’s relatives, several youths from the Chandipur area went to Bari’s shop on Saturday evening and asked him to change a note. When Bari refused, an argument broke out, which later turned into a scuffle.

The relatives alleged that around 1:45am, a group of 50 to 55 people arrived in front of Bari’s shop carrying locally made weapons and petrol bombs.

They allegedly broke the lock of the shop’s shutter and threw a petrol bomb, setting the shop on fire.

As the fire broke out, Bari and his family members came out of the house. The attackers then hacked Bari with sharp weapons, leaving him critically injured.

After the attackers fled, relatives rescued Bari and took him to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge of Rajpara Police Station, said police visited the scene after receiving the information.

No one had been detained in connection with the incident as of Sunday evening, he said.

The body has been kept at the hospital morgue and will be handed over to the family after an autopsy, the OC said.

He added that preparations were underway to file a case and legal action would be taken to arrest those responsible once a formal complaint is received.