Stance against BCL extortion main reason

Chittagong Jubo Dal leader Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, who was murdered in broad daylight in the city's Kadamtali area on Sunday, was targeted for his firm stance against the extortion allegedly by BCL men, claimed family and co-workers.

Harun, joint convener of Sadarghat thana Jubo Dal unit, was shot dead by six to seven youths from a tail of a procession organised by Sadarghat thana Jubo League and Awami League to celebrate the Unesco's recognition of historic March 7 speech of the Father of the Nation.

Co-workers and business leaders said the extortionists plotted the murder to take revenge and establish supremacy on transport business as Harun, the owner of ST Transport, had taken a firm stance against the extortion of BCL men.

Md Milon, an assistant to Harun, said, “I was standing 100 yards off the spot when I had heard a few gunshots ... I rushed to the spot and saw a group of youths including BCL men Liton, Nur Nabi and Hridoy running away with firearms.”

Police were yet to arrest anyone, while no case was lodged in this connection till filing of this report as of 9:30pm. Harun was the nephew of late Chittagong BNP leader Dastogir Chowdhury.

Meanwhile, yesterday, around 1,000 transport agencies and other businesses in the city's Kadamtali area announced to keep their businesses shut for 48 hours, protesting the killing and demanding the arrest of the killers. Locals also staged demonstration in the area over the same demand.

People related to transport business in the area said Mosharraf Hossain Liton is a resident of the city's Moriccha Para and backed by expelled city BCL leader Saiful Alam Limon and local councillor Golam Mohammed Jobayer.

Harun's assistant Milon said Liton and his men had been demanding money from the transport agents and workers for the last few months. Following the matter, transport workers led by Harun handed over Liton to Sadarghat Police Station after a good beating on November 27.

Later, the local councillor freed Liton from police custody after a discussion with senior transport leaders and Harun, said Milon. 

This correspondent tried to reach BCL leader Limon and councillor Jobayer, but they did not pick up the phone.

“To take revenge, Liton and his associates including Nur Nabi, Hridoy and Alamgir planned the murder,” Milon claimed.  “I saw Hridoy firing the last shot before fleeing.”

Nur Khan, general secretary of Inter-District Truck Covered-van Arrangement Cooperative Society, told The Daily Star, “The transport businessmen were fed up with Liton as he kept on demanding extortion money… Harun earlier resisted Liton and his group on a number of occasions.”

“It is Liton who might have murdered Harun to take the revenge,” claimed Nur.

Contacted, Marjina Akhter, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sadarghat Police Station, said, “Liton was detained in another incident and released later following a statement of the transport businessmen.”

“The investigation is underway while police are trying to find out the motive behind the killing,” said the OC.

Harun's uncle Jahangir Chowdhury, also president of Sadarghat Thana Awami League, said, “I don't want to make any comment … I will inform the party high-ups about the whole incident. Harun was a good man and I want justice, nothing else.”

Jahangir Alam, assistant commissioner (AC) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police's Kotwali Circle said, “Three bullets pierced through Harun's chest while another hit him in the waist."

The criminals even stabbed him in the neck from behind to confirm his death, said the AC.

Yesterday morning, Harun's post-mortem was conducted at Chittagong Medical College morgue. He was buried after a namaz-e-janaza following the Asr prayers.