Manzurul Islam Liton. File photo

Investigators suspect a militant group was behind the killing of ruling Awami League lawmaker Manzurul Islam Liton but they are yet to get concrete information on this.

After the Gaibandha lawmaker was shot dead by armed assailants at his house in Sundarganj Saturday evening, police launched a probe focusing on two aspects -- intra-party feud and Islamist militant attack.

"We are looking into all possible sides but involvement of militants or Jamaat is on top of them," Deputy Inspector General of Police (Rangpur Range) Khandker Golam Faruq told The Daily Star last night.

He said police so far detained 18 people for interrogation but no mentionable progress could be made.

A senior police official, requesting anonymity, said, "There were some feuds involving the lawmaker but we don't believe his killing is a result of those. The style of the killing indicates that it was the act of militants."

Liton had drawn widespread flak after he allegedly shot a 10-year-old boy in Gaibandha on October 2 last year.

Sourav Mia, son of Sazu Miah of Gopalcharan village in Sundarganj, was shot twice in the legs. Liton was arrested on October 14 in the capital's Uttara after Sazu filed an attempted murder case against him.

Meanwhile, the Awami League pointed the finger at religious extremists for the killing of Liton and also the attack on Khulna district AL leader ZA Mahamud Don.

Around 11:00am Saturday, unknown miscreants chased Don in Shitolbari Mondir area of Khulna city and shot at him. But the bullet hit a female pedestrian while the AL leader escaped, said police.

Following the two incidents, top AL leaders held an emergency meeting at the party president's Dhanmondi office with General Secretary Obaidul Quader in the chair.

AL leaders at the meet said fundamentalists remained silent in the face of law enforcers' drives but they are again making their existence known through such attacks.

The meeting also discussed security of party leaders and advised AL men to move cautiously, sources said.

According to insiders, the AL leaders have become worried after the killing of Liton and they think “targeted killing” has started after a break.

Some leaders believe Jamaat-e-Islami men might have killed Liton as his area is “Jamaat-prone and Liton had played a significant role against that party”.

Talking to reporters, Quader too blamed radical Islamists for the killing of Liton. Terming it a planned murder, he warned that the killers will have to pay heavily for this.

Soon after the killing, AL sent a delegation led by Jahangir Kabir Nanak and BM Mojammel Huq to Gaibandha.

Talking to local reporters, Nanak blamed anti-liberation force Jamaat and Shibir for the assassination of Liton.

The first namaj-e-janaza of Liton was held at Rangpur Police Lines School and College ground around yesterday noon.

His body was flown by a helicopter to Dhaka at 2:25pm.

His second namaj-e-janaza would be held at the South Plaza of Parliament at 10:00am today.

The body of Liton will be flown back to his Bamondanga village under Sundarganj upazila in Gaibandha today and he will be buried at his family graveyard after a third namaj-e-janaza following Asr prayers.

Tahmida Akhter Kakoli, sister of Liton, filed a case with Sundarganj Police Station last night accusing four to five unknown people for the murder, said Atiar Rahman, officer-in-charge of the police station.