A day after two people, including an eight-year-old boy, were killed in a gunfight in Chittagong, police since early yesterday have arrested 52 Jubo League and BCL men for their alleged involvement in the incident.
The gunfight took place between the activists of pro-Awami League organisations over the dropping of a railway tender worth Tk 1.5 crore at CRB in the port city on Monday noon.
Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate Lutful Kabir granted a one-day remand for each of the 44 detainees after all the arrestees were produced in court yesterday.
The court also directed the law enforcers to quiz eight others at Chittagong Central Jail gate considering they were under age, said Rezaul Masud, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP).
Police produced all the arrestees before the court around 1:00 pm with a seven-day remand prayer, he added.
Monday’s gunfight was led by Helal Akbar Chowdhury Babar, a member of Jubo League central committee, and Saiful Islam Limon, central assistant general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).
The deceased in the gunfight were identified as Amran Hossain, 8, a slum dweller, and Saju Palit, 25, a Jubo League activist and resident of Nandankanon area.
The mother of the kid becomes unconscious while mourning his death. Photo: Focus Bangla
Sub-Inspector Mohibur Rahman filed a case over the murders with Kotwali Police Station on Monday, accusing 87 named and 40 unnamed people.
Police conducted a drive in the city’s Polo Ground area around 2:30 pm on the same day and arrested Saiful Islam Limon and 21 of his associates, said Mohiuddin Selim, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station.
Till early yesterday, police had arrested 30 more activists of Jubo League and BCL after conducting drives in Nandankanon, DC Hill and Enayet Bazar areas, the OC added.
Mostaque Ahmed, ADC (south) of CMP, told The Daily Star police were conducting drives in different places to arrest Jubo League leader Babar and other accused in the case.
Talking to The Daily Star, Mina Palit, mother of Saju, and Assia Begum, mother of Arman, demanded maximum punishment for the killers.
“I do not know who killed my son, but I want their [killers’] highest punishment,” Mina said, sobbing uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, Siddique Nazmul Alam, central general secretary of BCL, told The Daily Star yesterday that they had permanently expelled Limon from the party.
Chandan Dhar, president of the city Jubo League, however, declined to make any comment on Monday’s incident.
Pro-ruling party activists — detained over the killing of two people, including an eight-year-old boy, in Monday’s gunfight — being taken to court in Chittagong yesterday
Source: The Daily Star