One killed in gunfight
A union parishad chairman, who allegedly had direct links with the recent violence in Satkhira, was killed in a “gunfight” between the joint forces and Jamaat-Shibir activists at Vadra of Satkhira Sadar upazila yesterday.
The dead is Anarul Islam, 45, of Kashempur village, suspended chairman of Agardari Union Parishad.
A stronghold of Jamaat-Shibir, Agardari union is just eight kilometres off Satkhira town. The southern district virtually turned into a valley of terror during recent hartals and blockades enforced by the opposition alliance as Jamaat-Shibir activists killed at least 10 ruling Awami League men here in the last six weeks.
To restore the law and order, members of police, Rab and BGB on December 15 jointly launched drives in the district.
Yesterday, the joint forces were patrolling the Vadra area of Kushkhali UP around 12:30pm when some 250 Jamaat-Shibir activists attacked the law enforcers with brickbats and crude bombs, Chowdhury Manjurul Kabir, superintendent of Satkhira police, told The Daily Star.
At one stage, the attackers opened fire on lawmen, forcing the law enforcers to retaliate with gunshots.
As the Jamaat-Shibir men retreated after around an hour, law enforcers found bullet-hit Anarul lying near a pond in the area. Several local arms were recovered from the spot, added Manjurul.
Anarul was rushed to Satkhira Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Enamul Haque, officer-in-charge of Satkhira Sadar Police Station, said the UP chairman was directly involved with all the incidents of violence in the district, unleashed by Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir during the recent spate of hartals and blockades.
Abdul Mannan, acting chairman of Agardari UP, said the LGRD ministry had suspended Anarul on April 7 for felling roadside trees and carrying out subversive activities.
Abdul Alim, general secretary of Satkhira district BNP, said the deceased was a BNP supporter, but he built a rapport with Jamaat-Shibir men after February 28 when a war crimes tribunal awarded death penalty to Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
Anarul's sister-in-law Papia Khatun said a few people, identifying themselves as journalists, met the UP chairman at his village home around 9:00am. Since then they did not know Anarul's whereabouts.
In the afternoon, the family members learnt that Anarul has been gunned down at Vadra, about eight kilometres from his village home.
Police handed over the body to Anarul's relatives around 5:00pm after an autopsy was performed on the UP chairman at Satkhira Sadar Hospital.
Police super Chowdhury Manjurul Kabir said the UP chairman was accused in six cases under the speedy trial act, special powers act and narcotics control act.
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