‘AL leader Jihad Chy planned Phulgazi chairman killing’
‘AL leader Jihad Chy planned Phulgazi chairman killing’
Local Awami League leader Jihad Chowdhury had masterminded the killing of Phulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haq, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) today said quoting several arrestees.
The elite force today picked up seven people in the capital and another in Feni in connection with the killing in Feni four days ago.
Meanwhile, another suspect – Abdullahil Mahmud Shiblu, AL president of Feni municipality Ward- No. 5 – surrendered before Feni Sadar Police Station around 3:15pm, Paritosh Ghosh, superintendent of police in Feni, told our Feni correspondent.
Seven of the arrestees -- Abidul Islam Abid, Jahidul Islam Saikat, Chowdhury Md Nasir Uddin Anik, Kazi Shahnan Mahmud, Sajjadul Islam Patwari alias Shifat, Shahjalal Uddin Shipon and Helal Uddin – were picked up in Bashundhara residential area while the eighth – Jahid Hossain – was picked up in Feni.
Of them, Abid, Saikat, Anik, Shahnan, Shifat, Shipon and Jahid directly took part in the killing mission, Rab Media Wing Director Habibur Rahman said at a press briefing at the force’s headquarters this afternoon.
While Helal was picked up for sheltering the seven at his Bashundhara residence, he added.
Jihad Chowdhury, AL joint secretary of Phulgazi upazila, had planned the entire mission at Salam Gymnasium in Feni to kill Ekramul a day before the murder, said the Rab official quoting arrestee Shipon as saying in primary interrogations.
He said the arrestees aged between 20 and 24 had participated in the killing on Tuesday at the instructions by Jihad Chowdhury.
Around 8:00am on Tuesday, Jihad also briefed them the entire planning of the killing mission, the Rab official said.
Jihad gave firearms to Abid, Shahnan, Shifat, Shaikat and one Sunny to carry out the mission, Habibur said at the press briefing.
Minutes before the incident, he said, the armed attackers led by one Ruti Sohel created a panic among general people at the scene by blasting crude bombs and vandalising vehicles.
In the killing mission, 60 to 70 people were involved, Habibur quoted Shipon as saying.
Around 11:00am, when Ekramul's car arrived in Bilashi cinema hall in Academy area, the attackers on an easy bike prevented the Phulgazi chairman's vehicle and Abid first fired two bullets targeting him in his car.
To ensure Ekramu's death, Sohel poured patrol on his vehicle and set it on fire, the Rab official added quoting Abid.
Later, they submitted their firearms to Jihad Chowdhury who told them to take shelter at Helal's residence in Bashundhara.
According to their statement, Habibur said that they were trying to nab other culprits.