Rabbi among 10 injured in N'ganj

Rafiur Rabbi, convener of Santrash Nirmul Taqi Mancha, and nine others were injured in an attack during an election campaign in Narayanganj yesterday.
The victims alleged that the attackers were loyal to Selim Osman, who is contesting Naryanganj-5 by-polls scheduled for June 26 with Jatiya Party ticket, and the incident had occurred in presence of police.
Several female campaigners were also assaulted during the attack, they claimed.
"It proves they [Osman family] won't spare anyone speaking against them," said Rafiur Rabbi, a civil rights and cultural activist who wanted to contest the by-polls but his nomination was cancelled on grounds of loan default.
The injured in yesterday's attack include Narayanganj Sangskritik Jote President Pradip Ghosh Babu, Arif Babul, Monir Hossain, Amal Akash, Jahangir Alam and Anwar Hossain.
They all were campaigning for independent candidate Akram Hossain Khan.
The constituency fell vacant following the death of Nasim Osman, Selim's elder brother on April 30. Selim's another brother Shamim Osman became the MP of Narayanganj-4 uncontested with Awami League's ticket in January 5 polls.
The Osman family is dreaded in the area allegedly for their control over the city's underground activities.
Pradip said their campaign was intercepted by Mizan, sub-inspector of Narayanganj Sadar Model Police Station, and some JP men at Charargop late afternoon.
An altercation ensued between the two groups when local JP leader Akram Ali Shahin came with another 20-30 of his followers and attacked them, alleged Pradip.
The SI, however, refuted the allegation and said the campaigners had violated the electoral code of conduct by distributing leaflets.
JP leader Shahin said the campaigners were calling the Osman family a family of killers and had been asking people not to vote for them. He also filed a general diary with the local police on Thursday over the matter.
He said he had informed the police when the campaigners were distributing leaflets yesterday.
"They tried to escape when police questioned them about the matter," Shahin claimed.
The Taqi Mancha was floated to press for justice for the murder of 17-years-old Tanwir Muhammed Taqi, Rabbi's elder son, last year.
Shamim's nephew Azmeri Osman is widely blamed for the brutal murder.