Six coastguards finally closed, probe ordered

Sister of deceased Saudi expatriate Zakir Hossain has lodged a murder case against seven coastguard men including the commander of Patharghata contingent on charge of beating his brother to death.
Six members of Patharghata coastguard contingent have been closed to the regional station and a three-member probe committee has been formed to probe the incident, said Lt Musfiqur Rahman, the coastguard commander of Bhola region.
The probe committee headed by coastguard Commander Saidul Islam and comprising Lt Com Kibria and Lt Mushfiqur Rahman have been asked to submit report within a week, he added.
Seven coastguard personnel including Patharghata coastguard Commander MA Zahid have been made accused in the murder case filed on Sunday by Zakir's sister Taslima.
Zakir was playing cards with his friends near a coastguard camp at Patharghata on Thursday night, said the complainant quoting witnesses.
The coastguards raided the place at about 9:30pm and beat them on charge of gambling, Taslima said in the case statement.
After beating Zakir, the coastguard men threw him into the Bishkhali River and Zakir's dead body was found by the riverside on Saturday, she added.
Recovery of Zakir's body from Bishkhali River sparked angry protest by locals on Saturday.
Carrying body of Zakir Hossain, 30, of Mathbaria in Pirojpur, hundreds of agitated people brought out a procession, cordoned the office of Patharghata upazila nirbahi officer, threw brickbats and ransacked sign board of the local coastguard camp.
They demanded trial and punishment of the coastguards for killing Zakir.
Later police with the help of local lawmaker Golam Sabur Tulu brought the situation under control.
Zakir's father-in-law Abdul Khalek, a resident of Kalmegha under Patharghata upazila of the district, on Friday night lodged a general diary mentioning that Zakir had gone missing since Thursday night.
Denying any incident of raid or beating anybody, a coastguard staff officer of south zone Saturday told the local journalists that they only focused their torchlight on them seeing a suspicious gathering.