Fulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haq has been killed as per a blueprint crafted by local Awami League leader Jihad Chowdhury in which over 50 people took part, says the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab).
“Jihad Chowdhury masterminded the killing of Fulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haq over an internal conflict for establishing supremacy,” Rab media wing director Habibur Rahman told a press briefing.
The briefing was arranged at the elite force’s headquarters in the afternoon following the arrest of eight people in connection with the sensational killing taken place in broad daylight.
Habibur Rahman said they extracted the information from the arrestees during their primary interrogations.
Tipped off, he said, a team of Rab-1 raided a house in the Bashundhara residential area and arrested Abidul Islam Abid, Jahidul Islam Saikat, Chowdhury M Nafiz Uddin Anik, Kazi Shanan Mahmud, Sajjadul Islam Patwari alias Shifat, Shahjalal Uddin Shipon and Helal Uddin.
Of them, Helal was detained for helping the six accused hide in his rented house.
Meanwhile, another team of Rab arrested Jahid Hossain form Rampur area in Feni for his link to the killing.
Except Helal, Habibur Rahman said, the rest seven directly took part in the killing mission.
Describing the incident, the Rab official said the arrestees along with 50 to 60 people took part in the killing on Tuesday following the instructions by Phulgazi upazila ruling party leader Jihad Chowdhury.
As per the information they gathered from the arrestees, Habibur Rahman said Jihad along with a few people had planned to kill the Upazila chairman on last Monday night at a room in Salma Gymnasium.
According to their plan, he said the killers took position near the academy area in the town around 8:00am on Tuesday where Jihad briefed about the responsibilities of all participated in the killing mission.
Later, Jihad handed over firearms to Abid, Shanan, Shifat, Sunny and Saikat to complete their mission.
The killers, led by, Abid, put a barricade on the road keeping an easy-bike soon after the vehicle carrying the upazila chairman reached near Bilashi cinema in the town. At the same time, the attackers, led by one Ruti Sohel, created panic among the common people in the area by blasting hand bombs and vandalizing public vehicles with sticks and sharp weapons.
Later, Abid first fired two shots on Ekram while the other gunmen followed him and opened fire indiscriminately.
Four people, except the upazila chairman, managed to come out of the vehicle with their wounds.
Finally, the attackers led by Ruti Sohel poured patrol over the vehicle and set it on fire to ensure Ekramu’s death and fled the scene hurriedly.
After the killing of Ekram, the Rab media wing director said, the accused met Jihad and returned their arms to him.
Jihad suggested them to go into hiding for a few days.
About the other people involved in the gruesome murder, Habibur Rahman said their drive will continue to arrest them.
Source: UNBConnect