At least 141 people were killed in nine months. Factional killing by outlaws also increased, according to police and newspapers reports. Forty-one murders were committed in previous three months.

Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Janajuddho) claimed responsibility for at least 70 killings, the police official further said.

The outlawed parties which are active are PBCP-ML, PBCP-Janajuddho, Biplobi Communsit Party (BCP), Banglar Communist Party (BCP), New Biplobi Communist Party (NBCP), Ganabahini of JSD and Ganamukti Fouj.

Godfathers of the outlawed parties are political leaders belonging to major parties, said another police official who was not willing to be named.

Godfathers use the outlaws for various purposes including establishment of supremacy or killing political opponents, he said.

Intelligence agencies identified at least nine such godfathers including 126 professional killers of different outlawed parties and gangs in Chuadanga. They sent lists to the higher authorities but to no effect, he informed.

In the latest incident, two persons were slaughtered and shot dead by outlaws at Nehalpur village in Chuadanga Sadar and Sreenagar in Alamdanga upazila on October 2.

The victims were identified as Mahabul and Kamal. One person named Sumon proclaiming himself as the regional leader of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-ML) claimed the responsibility of the murders to local journalists over telephone.

In another incident, Atiar Rahman, 32, an armed cadre of PBCP (Janajuddho) was slaughtered by rivals at Juranpur village in Damurhuda upazila on October 3. Police believed the murder to be a sequel to an internal conflict over supremacy.

Underground political operatives slaughtered five PBCP (ML) cadres when they were holding a secret meeting at a house at Naripota village in Damurhuda on June 23. A PBCP (Janajuddho) faction claimed the responsibility for the killings in a statement to a local newspaper office on the next day.

The victims are Akbar, 32, Abdul Jalil, 40, Latif, 37, Bazlu, 45, and Lutfar, 35. Of them Akbar and Latif were inhabitants of Naripota village while Jalil, Bazlu and Lutfar hailed from Kultadanga village in the same upazila.

A faction of PBCP (Janajuddho) killed three persons on April 30. The same faction killed five other operatives of PBCP (ML) at Kutubpur village in Chuadanga Sadar upazila on March 24.

Janajuddho cadres killed five persons at Chalerkathi village in Damurhuda upazila in another incident in December last year.

At least seven underground political outfits with at least 1,000 armed cadres grouped into 20 gangs are active in Chuadanga, according to police sources.

Fifty ringleaders control the armed cadres, according to sources in intelligence agencies.

Hardened criminals belonging to the outlawed parties collect illegal toll from people and businessmen, abduct and kill people for ransom and rape and kill girls as per their sweet will.