16 sued for killing Workers Party leader

Sixteen operatives of outlawed Sarbahara Party were sued yesterday on charge of killing a Bangladesh Workers Party leader in Atghoria upazila of the district the day before.

The accused include regional leaders of Sarbahara Party Alal Hossain and Tanjid Hossain.

Nazma Khatun, wife of victim Abdur Rashid, 35, vice president of Jatiya Krishak Samity, the farmers' wing of Bangladesh Workers Party, filed the case with Atghoria Police Station.

A gang of armed men shot him around 8:30pm on Wednesday when he was returning home after holding a party meeting at Chackia village in the upazila, said Nazma.

The gunmen shot him several times from close range, leaving him dead on the spot, said GM Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Atghoria Police Station.

Rashid's party men claimed that outlaws of Sarbahara Party had killed him as he would persuade farmers to join the Krishak Samity.

“He had received several threats from the outlaws,” said Jakir Hossain, secretary of Workers Party's Pabna unit.

Police are raiding different areas to arrest the accused, said the OC.