'Give capital punishment to Sanwar's killers'

Villagers and family members of Md Sanwar Hossain, who was killed by criminals at Nagar Jalpai village in Sadar upazila on October 31, yesterday demanded capital punishment for the killers.

Several hundred people, including women and children as well as family members of Sanwar, came to the town in processions from Karatia, Jalpai, Nagar Jalpai and Jagannath Jalpai villages in the morning.

They formed a human chain in front of Tangail Press Club and later held a press conference at the Bangabandhu Auditorium of the club.

Speakers at the press conference said local criminals hacked Sanwar, a trader in the town, with sharp weapons at Nagar Jalpai village when he was coming to the town on October 31, leaving him seriously injured.

The criminals killed Sanwar in a preplanned way as he protested their criminal activities in the village, they said.

Village elder Hasmot Ali of Nagar Jalpai, Sanwar's father, his brothers Sarwar Hossain and Anwar Hossain, and wife Moli Khan, mother of two sons, spoke at the press conference.

Sanwar was first admitted to Tangail General Hospital and later referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on November 1, where he succumbed to his injuries around 10:30pm, they said.

Sanwar's father Nurul Islam filed a murder case with Tangail Model Police Station the same day, accusing six people. The accused are Sabuj Miah, 23, Md Ratan, 27, Md Rashed, 36, Md Sijan, 20, Akter Hossain, 22, and Atoar Hossain, 52, of Nagar Jalpai village. 

Tangail Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Saidur Rahman said police have already arrested three of the accused. Drive to arrest the other three was going on, he added.