Sylhet BCL man stabbed to death

A Bangladesh Chhatra League activist was stabbed to death allegedly by his rivals in Tilagarh Point area of Sylhet city last night.

The deceased, Tanim Khan, 21, son of Ismail Khan of Burunga village in Osmaninagar upazila, was a BA (pass) final year student of Sylhet Government College, and a member of the district Awami League faction led by the youth and sports secretary Ranjit Sarkar, said his classmates.

After being stabbed on his head and body, Tanim was rushed to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital in critical condition where doctors declared him dead.

“Tanim was stabbed by members of a rival group at around 9:00pm while he was walking alone in Tilagarh Point area,” said Akhter Hossain, officer-in-charge of Shahporan Police Station, after primary investigation.

The OC said they are now trying to arrest the suspected killers.

Seeking anonymity, some members of Ranjit faction said, those from the rival Azadur Rahman Azad group stabbed Tanim to take revenge for a clash that took place between the two groups on January 4.

Azad is the education secretary of Sylhet Metropolitan Awami League and councillor of ward-20 of Sylhet City Corporation.

On January 4, both the groups locked into a clash in Murari Chand (MC) College area on the 70th anniversary of Bangladesh Chhatra League, leaving four injured.

No cases were filed in connection with the murder till filing of this report last night. Tanim's body has been kept at the hospital for autopsy.

Over the years, Tilagarh has become a hotbed for BCL infighting as two groups, backed by Ranjit and Azad, are trying to take control of MC College and Sylhet Government College.

From 2010, three activists have been killed and at least 50 clashes have taken place in the areas.

On October 16 last year, a BCL activist, Omor Ahmed Miyad, was killed by his rivals. Following the murder, BCL dissolved the Sylhet District Unit the very next day.