Killing of Selim: War heroes demand justice

Around 60 freedom fighters and locals yesterday took to the streets in Pabna protesting the murder of war hero Mostafizur Rahman Selim with the victim's family alleging that he was killed for being vocal against corruption.

On Wednesday, 70-year-old Selim was shot by two unidentified persons near his home around 9:30pm in Ishwardi upazila of the district. Later, he died around 10:30pm on the way to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

After conducting an autopsy at Pabna Medical College Hospital, the body was returned to the family. He was buried at a local graveyard in Pakshey yesterday evening.

People of all walks of life protested the killing and demanded justice for war hero Selim. The protesters blocked the Dhaka-Kushtia highway at Rooppur intersection in Pakshey around 11:00am and demonstrated there for almost one and a half hours.

Talking to journalists, Selim's wife Dilara Begum yesterday said her husband had no personal enmity with anybody and might have been killed for his rebellious attitude.

Jahangir Alam, former commander of Pakshey Muktijoddha Shangsad, said it could not be accepted that a freedom fighter was killed in front of his home like that.

Besides, freedom fighter Fazlur Rahman Fantu said Selim actively collected a list of fake farmers who claimed to be land owners in the Rooppur nuclear power plant area to illegally get rehabilitation worth Tk 28 crore.

This could be a reason for his murder, he added.

No case was lodged in this connection as of 8:30pm yesterday.

Bahauddin Faruki, officer-in-charge of Ishwardi Police Station, said they were investigating the incident and would take necessary actions as soon as possible.