MP Liton Murder: Former UZ vice-chair arrested
Police yesterday arrested a former vice-chairman of Sundarganj Upazila Parishad in connection with the killing of local Awami League lawmaker Manzarul Islam Liton, raising the number of arrestees to 28 in the murder case.
Masud, 38, was a leader of pro-JSD Chhatra League in the upazila. He joined Jatiya Party in 2008 and was elected vice-chairman of the upazila parishad.
A local court yesterday placed Masud and six Jamaat men on seven-day remand each in the Liton murder case after hearing remand prayers from police.
Atiar Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sundarganj Police Station, said they arrested Masud at his Sundarganj home around 4:00am.
However, his wife Anjumanara Begum earlier told The Daily Star that some plainclothes policemen picked up her husband from their home Thursday night.
Golam Kabir Mukul, president of Sundarganj Swechchasebok League, said Masud desired to join an extended meeting of the upazila AL at the upazila parishad auditorium in 2010, but Liton opposed it.
Protesting the incident, Masud threatened Liton with serious consequences at the gate of the auditorium, he added.
The six Jamaat men placed on remand yesterday are Farid Mia, Hazrat Ali, Nabinur, Shamiul Islam, Hadisur Rahman and Ziaur Rahman. They were arrested in different areas of the upazila on Saturday. No lawyer represented them in court.
Yesterday, police also picked up Shahidul Islam Mandol, headmaster of Chengmari High School and amir of Sundarganj (east) Jamaat-e-Islami, for interrogation, said sub-inspector Abdul Wahed, in-charge of Kanchibari Police Investigation Centre.
Earlier, police detained 27 people from the upazila and showed 21 of them arrested under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Armed assailants shot Liton inside his Masterpara home on December 31. He died at Rangpur Medical College Hospital that evening.
The following day, the lawmaker's sister filed the murder case with Sundarganj Police Station accusing unnamed people.
PROTEST CONTINUES
Locals yesterday formed a human chain in the upazila's Bamondanga area under the banner of Bamondanga Football and Cricket Club demanding immediate arrest of Liton's killers.
Among the protesters were locals, teachers and students of eight educational institutions. Later, a rally was held there.
Addressing the rally, speakers demanded the law enforcers arrest the MP's killers by January 10. They also threatened to enforce hartal and blockade of road and railway if their demand was not met by that time.
Locals yesterday set up Shaheed Liton Mancha near the Bamondanga Railway Station from where they promised to continue the agitation until the killers were arrested and police unravelled the murder plot.