A Bangladesh Chhatra League leader was killed in a “gunfight” between his associates and Rab members early yesterday, around 12 hours after he and his friends allegedly beat a teenage boy to death in the capital’s Hazaribagh area.
In Magura, former BCL leader Mehedi Hasan Ajibor, an accused in a case over the July 23 firing that left a mother and the baby in her womb with gunshot wounds, was killed in another “gunfight” between his accomplices and police around 1:00am, barely two hours before the Hazaribagh shooting.
Police and locals said Hazaribagh Thana Chhatra League President Arzu Mia, 28, and a couple of his friends tortured a teenage boy, Raja Mia, on Monday allegedly for stealing mobile phones and a laptop.
Several hours after Raja’s death was confirmed by doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Arzu, was picked up by Rab-2 officials from Hazaribagh Park area, his brother Masud Mia told journalists.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Ferdawsi Rahman of Rab said Rab members took Arzu the main suspect in the Raja murder case, to Baroikhali area of Hazaribagh to arrest the others involved in the killing.
“His cohorts opened fire on the Rab members at 2:35am [yesterday],” she said.
“Wounded, Arzu was found lying there after the gunfight. He was later taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital,” said Ferdawsi.
Doctors at the hospital pronounced him dead around 5:30am. There were eight bullet wounds in his body, said morgue sources.
Meanwhile, Hazaribagh Thana Awami League said BCL leader Arzu was killed in a “so-called gunfight on some trifling pretext.”
In a press release, the unit party leaders condemned the killing and demanded “proper investigation into the extrajudicial killing.”
The AL unit will hold a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity at 11:00am “protesting the killing of Arzu Mia by Rab”.
Addressing an event in the capital, Health Minister Mohammed Nasim said Arzu Mia was an “opportunist criminal” who joined the AL with a malicious intent.
“I feel frustrated when I see the likes of Arzu Mia in my party… Our aim now is to contain them,” he said at the Directorate General of Health Services in the afternoon.
Talking to The Daily Star yesterday afternoon, Arzu’s older sister Rehana Akhter said Hazaribagh police picked up her and their mother Joytoon Nesa from their house around 1:00am.
“When we were taken to the police station, we saw Arzu’s motorcycle on its premises. The police said they didn’t know where he was,” Rehana said.
“They kept us at the police station for several hours and then dropped us home at the break of day,” she added.
Around half-an-hour after they reached home, Rehana’s brother-in-law Tara Mia received a phone call. The caller told him that Arzu might have been killed in a gunfight and asked him to go to the DMCH to identify the body, Rehana said.
“I believe Arzu was killed over an intra-party feud. Raja’s death was used as a pretext.”
Arzu’s brother Masud Mia said, “My brother may have tortured a boy who died, but he should have been tried in a court of law.”
Police arrested BCL activists Monir, 35, and Sagor, 25, and Sujon, 28, in connection with Raja’s murder on Monday. A Dhaka court yesterday placed Monir and Sujon on a three-day remand, while Sagor admitted to his role in torturing Raja.
On Monday morning, Arzu picked up Raja from in front of his house, suspecting that the boy stole his mobile phones and a laptop.
Raja’s aunt Ratna Begum claimed Arzu and his friends left an unconscious Raja in front his house around 3:30pm. His family members took him to the DMCH where doctors declared him dead at 4:45pm.
MAGURA GUNFIGHT
Former BCL activist Ajibor, 34, an accused in a case over shooting a man dead and injuring a pregnant woman in Magura, was killed in “a gunfight” between his cohorts and law enforcers early yesterday, said Magura Superintendent of Police AKM Ehsan Ullah.
During a factional clash on July 23, bullets fired by ruling party men left Nazma Khatun and her baby in the womb wounded and her husband’s uncle Momin Bhuiyan, 65, dead.
Ajibor went into hiding, as the incident caused public outrage.
Prior to yesterday’s “gunfight”, rumours ran high that police arrested Ajibor, son of Abdul Malequ at Doharpar, from Simakhali bazar in Magura on Monday evening.
Police, however, denied arresting him.
Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Ehsan Ullah said a joint team of detectives and police conducted a raid in Doarpar orphanage area around 1:00am on information that a group of criminals had gathered there.
Sudarshan Kumar Roy, assistant superintendent of police, said, “Sensing the presence of police, the criminals opened fire on the law enforcers triggering a gunfight.”
After the gunfight, police found Ajibor’s body lying on the spot, he said.
Police said they recovered two firearms, two bullets and two bottles of phensedyl from the spot.
Ajibor, the third accused in the case, was a former executive member of Magura municipality BCL unit.
A total of 16 people were accused in the case over the July 23 incident. Police have so far arrested nine people, including vice president of BCL Magura district unit Sen Suman.
Source: The Daily Star
