Mayhem in Mirpur

The mother, left, and sister of slain Chhatra League leader AK Fazlul Haque Patwari, in tears after criminals shot Fazlul dead at Kazipara in the capital yesterday. Photo: Palash Khan/ Ridwan Adid Rupon

Unidentified criminals yesterday shot dead a Chhatra League leader at east Kazipara in the capital's Kafrul area allegedly over a land dispute.
The victim, AK Fazlul Haque Patwari Babu, 24, was president of BCL ward no-94 and a second year BA student of Dhaka Model Degree College.

AK Fazlul Haque Patwari

Enraged by the murder, activists of BCL and other organisations associated with the ruling Awami League blocked roads in Mirpur section-10, section-2 and 13 for an hour. They went on the rampage after 1:30pm and vandalised around 100 vehicles reportedly in presence of police.
Around 10:45am, two youths -- one wearing a mask and another helmet -- dragged Babu out of a rickshaw garage, said Mohammad Hasem, who sells tea near the garage. Within a minute he heard four shots.
Then the duo fled. Babu was found lying on the ground with blood oozing from his body, Hasem said.
Some local people rushed him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
The Daily Star correspondent met the victim's family at their Mirpur residence. Babu's mother Momtaz Begum was howling and demanding justice for her son's murder.
Babu had been looking after a tin-shed house of a relative since its purchase in 2005, his father Hedayat Ullah said. The owner handed over the piece of land to a developer last year. But one of the previous owner's son Titu, who is known as a local goon, wanted to have the property back forcibly.
Two months ago, their relative gave Titu Tk 2 lakh to settle the issue, Hedayat said.

Chhatra League and Awami League activists vandalise several vehicles in Mirpur in protest at the killing. Photo: Palash Khan/Ridwan Adid Rupon

In March, Titu was beaten up by local people for extortion and handed over to police. Being released on bail, Titu threatened to kill Babu, accusing him of the incident, Hedayat added.
Kazi Wazed Ali, officer-in-charge of Kafrul Police Station, said victim's family and some people in the neighbourhoods blamed Titu and an unidentified accomplice for the killing. But they have no specific information.
"We raided Titu's residence at Savar and other places to arrest him but he went into hiding," he said.
Police, meanwhile, held garage owner Jahangir last night for interrogation, the OC said, adding Jahangir had called Babu to the garage an hour before the shooting.