Mannan's brother, 53 others sued

A case was filed in connection with Monday's triple murder in Hazarbigha village in Dohar upazila of Dhaka accusing 54 named and 80-90 unnamed persons early yesterday.
Motaleb Khandaker, son of victim Moksed Khandaker alias Musa, filed the case with Dohar Police Station around 1:00am, said OC Kamrul Islam.
Awami Swechchhasebak League president Bashar Chokder, Motaleb Khan, a brother of former state minister and defeated AL candidate Mannan Khan, Anwar Sikder and four arrestees are among the accused named, police said.
Three people were killed when supporters of Mannan Khan carried out an attack on supporters of victorious candidate Salma Islam of Jatiya Party (JP) in Dohar under Dhaka-1 constituency.
The early morning attack left Mokbul Munshi, 35, Moksed Khandaker Musa, 55, and his son Masud Khandaker, 28, dead and about 9 other persons severely injured.
Sources claimed that policemen were present and were inactive during the attack on Monday.
Detective Branch Sub-inspector Abu Bakr Siddiqui, who is investigating the case, told The Daily Star yesterday that both political and local rivalry may have been the reason behind the deadly attack.
"We will be able to learn more about  the motive after interrogating the arrestees, whose three-day remand was granted by a court today [Tuesday]," he said, adding that most of the accused were absconding.  
Police arrested four people, Anwar Chokdar, Khokan, Ali Khandaker and Tota Mia, later on Monday.
The victims claimed that discontent arose between two families after Mannan Khan formed the Swechchhasebak League Dohar committee with Bashar Chokdar as its president and Mokbul Munshi, who belonged to the Mollah kin, as its vice-president.
As Mollah kin joined JP 15 days before the election, rivalry between Chokdar kin and Mollah kin intensified. People belonging to the Mollah kin even received threats from Mannan Khan's supporters on the day of the election.
The threat became a reality hours after JP candidate Salma Islam won the election.
Eyewitnesses of the attack that was carried out on the Mollah kin by around 200 people said they had not seen such brutality after 1971.
Musa's 16-year-old nephew Sumon, who also sustained injuries, told The Daily Star that five of the injured were now undergoing treatment at Dhaka and Mitford medical college hospitals.
"We are still reeling from fear that the goons, who are now on the run, might come back and attack again," he said.
SI Siddiqui said law enforcers had stepped up their vigilance in the area.