Police beat JCD leader to death in presence of hundreds

AKM Raquib Hasan, 28, a leader of Khulna district unit of Jatiyatabadi Chatra Dal (JCD) and an accused in several criminal cases, was beaten to death by police at noon yesterday in Barasat union in Terokheda upazila.

Witnesses said the young man was beaten to death at Barasat High School ground in presence of hundreds of people. Police sources also confirmed that he died in police beating. Terokheda upazila headquarter is about 15 kilometres from Khulna city.

As tension ran high in the area, the deputy commissioner and the police superintendent of Khulna visited the spot and assured local people that the incident would be tried.

The Officer-in-Charge of Terokheda thana said Raquib was an accused in the Chhatra Shibir leader Abul Kashem Pathan murder case. He was also wanted in five other criminal cases filed against him with Terokheda thana in last one year, the OC said.

It is also suspected that Raquib had links with outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP), the OC said.

The witnesses said policemen of Barasat police camp asked Raquib to stop when he was going through the road in front of the camp. But he started running. The policemen chased him. They caught him at the school ground and started beating him in a fit of rage. He died on the spot. Some sources claimed that Raquib was suffering from diabetes.

Local BNP, its youth front Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal and student front Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal have called a half-day hartal at Terokheda upazila today in protest against the murder.

Soon after the incident, hundreds of leaders and supporters of BNP, Juba Dal and Chatra Dal surrounded Terokheda police station, demanding arrest of the policemen responsible for the killing.

Additional police force has been deployed at Terokheda.