At least eight people were killed and many others injured in political violence in Satkhira, Laxmipur and Jessore on Monday.
In Satkhira, five people were killed and several others injured in separate clashes with joint forces during their drives in Debhata and Sadar upazilas before dawn.
One of the deceased was identified as Jahangir Alam, 30, a Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami activist and a resident of Satani village in Sadar upazila.
In Debhata, four people were killed in firing by the joint forces comprising police, Border Guard Bangladesh and Rapid Action Battalion at Shakhra and Sakhipur in the early hours.
Police super of Satkhira Chowdhury Manjurul Kabir said the joint forces conducted a drive in the area around 5am to arrest some accused in a case filed for felling trees and unlashing anarchy during the recent blockade.
However, the activists of Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir encircled the law enforcers.
At one stage, they pelted them with brick chunks and opened fire on them. The law enforcers also opened fire in self-defence, killing the four on the spot, said the SP.
Later, Satkhira district unit Jamaat secretary Nurul Huda called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district for Tuesday protesting the incident.
In Jessore, a local leader of opposition BNP was hammered to death allegedly by local activists of ruling party Awami League at Talbaria Bazar in Sadar upazila.
The deceased was identified as Masud Hossain, 40, joint secretary of Noapara ward unit of BNP.
Officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station Emdad Hossain said some local AL activists hit Masud with a hammer mercilessly at the bazaar around 10am, leaving him critically injured.
He was rushed to Sadar Hospital. He succumbed to his injures in the afternoon while being moved to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
In protest against the killing, local BNP called a half-day hartal in Sadar upazila for Wednesday.
In Laxmipur, two BNP men were killed in a gunfight with members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) at Ratonerkhil village in Sadar upazila of the district.
The deceased were identified as Asaduzzaman Babul, joint general secretary of Dighali union unit of BNP and son of late Amin Ullah of the village, and party functionary Khorshed Alam Sumon.
Police and locals said a Rab team conducted a drive in the area around 12:30am to arrest Babul.
Sensing presence of the elite force, Babul and his cohorts opened fire on the crime busters, forcing them to retaliate that triggered a gun battle, police said.
Babul and Sumon were caught in the line of fire and died on the spot, said a spot account of the nighttime incident.
Source: UNB Connect
