Protesters set fire to 50 houses in Narsingdi

Agitating locals set fire to around 50 houses, including the residence of a pro-BNP union parishad (UP) chairman at Belabo upazila here yesterday protesting the killing of Jubo League leader on Tuesday.
Police said firefighters from Narsingdi and Bhairab rushed to the spot and doused the fire after a two-hour effort.
Identified as Abdus Sattar, president of Sarrabad union Jubo League of the same upazila, the victim was severely beaten up by a gang of criminals led by Sarrabad UP Chairman Shahidul Islam Tanvir in a sweetmeat shop at Narayanpur the previous day.
Sattar succumbed to his injuries on way to Bhairab upazila health complex.
As the news spread in the locality, aggrieved locals took positions around the houses of the chairman and his accomplices in the village and set fire to them around 12:00pm.
On information, police and firefighters rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Local lawmaker advocate Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun and Police Super Mohammad Ali Mia visited the locale and requested the angry villagers not to violate laws assuring them of taking legal action against the killers.
One of the younger brothers of the victim filed a murder case against 14 to 15 people, including the UP chairman.
Police arrested two brothers -- Dayal and Shahjahan -- in this connection.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) Borhan Uddin of Belabo Police Station said police have been deployed in the area to ward off any untoward situation.