Grisly murders appal Bangladeshis

Hundreds of Bangladeshis have taken to the streets to show shock and disgust at the gruesome discovery of the dismembered remains of two tradesmen.

Police in the capital, Dhaka, say they recovered more than 200 chopped-up pieces from the bodies of the two men, who went missing on Friday.

The macabre crime has traumatised local businessmen and residents.

They have demanded the immediate arrest of the killers and have blamed police for Dhaka's spiralling lawlessness.

Crime fears

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Ashraful Huda, told the BBC's Waliur Rahman, "The killings of the two businessmen are not only an act of cold-blooded murder.

"We believe it was done with the aim to terrorise society," he said.

Opposition leaders have blamed the government for failing to act on the safety concerns of businessmen.

No official record exists of the number of businessmen murdered in Dhaka's bustling old city area - but tabloid newspaper Manabjamin said at least 13 such murders had taken place in the past year.

Disturbing images

The murdered men were well-known cloth merchants.

Shamsul Alam, and his son, Russel, were last seen alive on Friday, before setting off to visit a business partner to settle a dispute.

The police reportedly discovered 19 body parts while investigating their disappearances on Saturday night.

A search on the outskirts of Dhaka the following day uncovered more than 200 body parts.

The driver for the two men was also apparently killed.

Bangla-language newspapers carried disturbing pictures of the police find, including one which appeared to show stray dogs fighting over the human remains.

Strike plan

Dhaka police say an investigation is underway and one suspect has so far been arrested.

Crimes against wealthy businessmen are generally believed to be on the rise in Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest countries.

But most victims are kidnapped or attacked for ransom or intimidation; the gruesome manner of the latest killings has caused unprecedented revulsion, say correspondents.

Dhaka's businessmen plan to go on strike on Tuesday to protest at what they perceive as rising insecurity.