Tangail UP chairman held over murder charges

Members of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today arrested a union parishad chairman in connection with a case filed for murdering a Jubo Dal activist during a pre-polls violence in March 28, 2018.

The arrestee, Hekmat Shikder, 50, is the incumbent chairman of Sagardighi Union Parishad in Ghatail upazila, reports our local correspondent quoting DB Inspector Ataur Rahman Akand, investigation officer of the case.

Hekmat, former member of Ghatail upazila unit Awami League, is wanted in several cases.

He was arrested from the Tangail bus stand area this afternoon after investigation, the IO said.

On the night of March 28, 2018, a day before the Sagardighi Union Parishad (UP) elections, several hundred agitated people besieged a local polling centre after being informed that ballot papers of the elections were snatched by Hekmat Shikder's men.

Hekmat was the chairman candidate under boat symbol, according to the case document.

To disperse the angry people, Hekmat's men opened fire inside the centre where a local Jubo Dal activist sustained bullet injury and succumbed to his injuries on the spot, stated the case document.

Following the incident, a family member of the deceased filed a murder case with a Tangail court naming Hekmat Shikder and some others. 

Meanwhile, Hekmat was produced before the court of Tangail Senior Judicial Magistrate Farzana Hasanat seeking a 7-day remand, Tanbir Ahmed, Tangail court inspector told The Daily Star.

The court fixed tomorrow for the remand prayer and ordered to send him to jail.