Tangail AL to expel Rana

Tangail Awami League has decided to expel Amanur Rahman Khan Rana, ruling AL lawmaker from Tangail-3 (Ghatail) constituency, and his three brothers from the party over various allegations. 

“The decision of cancelling primary memberships of the lawmaker and his brothers from the district unit Awami League will be communicated to the party's central committee for the final approval,” said Joaherul Islam Joaher, general secretary of the AL unit. 

"The decision to expel them from the party will be declared formally after getting the approval from the central committee," he added.    

Yesterday, Tangail AL made the decision in an urgent meeting chaired by district AL President Fazlur Rahman Khan Faruk at the Zila Parishad Auditorium.

The allegations brought against them include violation of party discipline, killing of local AL leader and freedom fighter Faruk Ahmed and attempt to kill Chhatra League leader Abu Sayeed Rubel, vice-president of Ghatail GBG College Students' Union, party sources said.

MP Rana, former religious affairs secretary of the district unit AL, and his three younger brothers -- Jahidur Rahman Khan Kakon, former president of Chambers and Commerce in Tangail; Shahidur Rahman Khan Mukti, former mayor of Tangail municipality and former general secretary of Tangail city unit AL; and Saniat Khan Bappa, former vice-president of central unit of BCL -- are among the 14 charge-sheeted accused in Faruk murder case.

FARUK MURDER

Faruk, former publicity secretary of the district unit AL, was found shot dead near his College Para house in Tangail town on the night of January 18, 2013.

Three days after the killing, Faruk's wife Nahar Ahmed filed a case against unidentified assailants with Tangail Model Police Station.

In February 3 last year, the Detective Branch of police in Tangail submitted a charge sheet to a Tangail court in the case, accusing 14 people, including Rana and his three brothers.

The charge sheet says Rana and his family opposed Faruk's vying for the post of Tangail AL general secretary in 2012. Rana's brother Mukti was a contestant for the position.

After failing to persuade Faruk to quit the race, Rana and his brothers assigned their accomplices to kill him, it says.

On April 6 last year, the Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court in Tangail accepted the charge sheet against 14 accused and issued arrest warrants for 10 fugitives, including Rana and his brothers.

Having remained fugitive for around 22 months, MP Rana surrendered before the First Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court in Tangail on September 18. The court rejected his bail prayer and sent him to jail. 

Of the 14 charge-sheeted accused, four, including MP Rana, are now in jail and three on bail. Seven others, including Rana's three brothers, are on the run, said Ashok Kumar Singha, officer-in-charge of Tangail DB.