8 held, Shahidul's gun seized

Police on Saturday night arrested eight people as suspects for interrogation in connection with the murder of Fakir Imran Hossain, general secretary of Terokheda upazila unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).
The arrestees -- Shahid Biswas, Bikash Saha, Mokim, Tarik Molla, Raushan, Saddam, Murad and Faisal were produced before the court at 1:30pm yesterday.
The eight people are loyal to Awami League leader and union parishad Chairman Sheikh Shahidul Islam, police said.
Police raided Shahidul's house at about 10:00pm on Saturday and seized his licensed shotgun that was used to fire at supporters of his rival Ohiduzzaman Fakir, also a candidate in the upcoming union parishad election.
The attack on the procession where Fakir Imran Hossain participated, led to clashes between the two groups, resulting in the BCL leader's death and injuries to 12 others on Saturday morning.
Shahidul left his house soon after receiving information of Imran's death, police said.
"This pre-poll violence that has claimed a life in Terokheda upazila is enough to prove negligence of police in maintaining law and order despite several reminders given earlier in this connection," said Terokheda upazila parishad Chairman Sharfuddin Biswas Bacchu, also organising secretary of Khulna district unit of Awami League.
He blamed lawmaker of Khulna-4 (Rupsha-Digholia-Terokheda) constituency Molla Jalaluddin for ordering armed attack on the motorcycle procession of Ohiduzzaman Fakir that ultimately claimed the life of BCL leader Fakir Imran.
Denying the allegation against him, lawmaker Molla Jalaluddin blamed upazila Chairman Sharfuddin Biswas Bacchu and General Secretary of district AL Mostafa Rashidi Shuja for resorting to violence.
When contacted, Mostafa Rashidi Shuja, also a former lawmaker elected from Khulna-4, denied the allegation made against him by Molla Jalaluddin. He termed the sitting lawmaker as 'harbourer of outlaws'.
"The murder of the BCL leader is consequence of serious intra-party squabbles," said Khulna Superintendent of Police Tanvir Haider Chowdhury.