Kallol Ahmed, Lalmonirhat: Police recovered the body of a middle-aged man from a pond in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila on Saturday, hours after he went missing, sparking questions over the mysterious circumstances of his death.The deceased, Akhtar Hossain, 55, son of late Ansar Ali of Kashipur area under Ward no 5 of Mohendranagar Union, was found floating in a pond in the Audiyar Dola area around 4:00 PM.Family and local sources said Akhtar left home Saturday morning after breakfast for personal work. He was expected to return by noon, but when he did not come back by afternoon, family members began searching for him.In the afternoon, locals spotted a body floating in a pond in Audiyar Dola and informed others. Relatives rushed to the spot and identified the body as that of the missing Akhtar Hossain.On information, a team from Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station promptly reached the scene, recovered the body, and took it to the police station.Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station Sad Ahmed said the incident is under investigation. “We are looking into whether it was an accident or if there was any other cause behind the death,” he said.The OC added that the body has been sent to the Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. “Further details will be known once the report is available,” he said.The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the area. Locals have demanded a thorough probe to uncover the mystery behind Akhtar Hossain’s death.