Missing UK Expat Found Dead in Sylhet Haor
Published: 04 February 2026, 3:11:42
Police have identified a body recovered from a haor in Sylhet’s Zakiganj as that of a missing expatriate from Sunamganj.
The deceased, British-Bangladeshi Burhan Uddin Shafi, 59, returned to Bangladesh from the United Kingdom on January 28 with his wife and children. After arriving, he moved into a rented apartment in the Ambarkhana area of Sylhet city.
Burhan Uddin, a British national, was the son of the late Samchu Miah of Habibpur Ashighar village in Jagannathpur upazila, Sunamganj. Nearly four decades ago, he migrated to the UK with his father and later settled in Southport, where he lived with his family. He was known as a businessman and had connections with football.
Shafi went missing on January 30 while travelling from Sylhet to Kulaura. CCTV footage from that day shows him riding on a motorcycle with a young man. His family subsequently filed a general diary with Airport Police Station.
The body was recovered on Tuesday (3rd February) afternoon from Konarband Haor, located between Satghari and Bilpar areas under Sultanpur union in Zakiganj upazila. Locals spotted the body and informed the police, who then went to the scene and recovered it.
Witnesses said the body bore clear signs of burning, with a rope tied around the neck. A packet of salt was also found nearby, adding to the mystery surrounding the incident. Locals suspect the body may have been set on fire to conceal the victim’s identity and destroy evidence after the killing.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Zakiganj Police Station Abdur Razzaq said teams from the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) collected fingerprints from the scene and confirmed the identity. Family members later arrived and verified it.
After completing the inquest, the body was sent to the morgue of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital for autopsy. Police said an investigation is underway to uncover the motive behind the killing, and discussions are ongoing with higher authorities regarding where the case will be filed.
