2 AL leaders shot dead

Unidentified assailants shot dead two top Awami League leaders in Bandarban and Satkhira yesterday.

The victims are Mong Mong Thoi Marma, 50, president of Taracha union AL in Bandarban’s Rowangchhari upazila, and Nazrul Islam, 63, vice president of Agardari union AL in Satkhira’s Sadar upazila, our correspondents reported quoting police.

In Bandarban, Mong Thoi Marma was shot in Shamukjiri area on the Bandarban-Rowangchhari road around 1:00pm, when he was returning from a party meeting, said Shariful Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Rowangchhari Police Station.

Locals took Mong to Bandarban Sadar hospital where he was declared dead, the OC said.

Earlier in May, two AL and Juba League leaders were killed and another former commissioner was abducted in Bandarban.

Meanwhile in Satkhira, Nazrul Islam was shot on in Hamzapara area on the Satkhira-Boikari road when he was returning to his home on his motorcycle from Kadamtola local market.

Quoting local witnesses, Nazrul’s younger brother Rabiul Islam said killers, also on a motorcycle, shot Nazrul twice on his back. Nazrul tried to escape the area by speeding up and fell on the road.

Locals informed police, after which his body was recovered and sent to Satkhira Sadar Hospital for autopsy, said Md Eeltut Mish, additional superintendent of police in Satkhira.

Those responsible for the murder are yet to be known, he added.

Mansur Ahmed, president of Satkhira AL, and Md Nazrul Islam, its general secretary, have condemned the murder and demanded exemplary punishment of the criminals.