Satkhira BNP leader killed in ‘gunfight’

A BNP upazila-level leader was killed in a "gunfight" with law enforcers in Tala upazila of Satkhira early today.

Sheikh Abdul Halim alias Biplob, 39, assistant general secretary of Tala upazila unit of BNP and general secretary of the party's Jalalpur union unit was injured during the gunfight around 3:00am, our Kushtia correspondent reports quoting Abu Bakar Siddique, office-in-charge of Tala Police Station.   

Acting on a tip-off, a team of police conducted a raid at Suzan Shah Passenger Shed on Tala-Patkelghata road where a group of outlawed party members led by Biplob were holding a secret meeting, the OC said.

The gunfight ensued between the law enforcers and the gang members when they opened fire sensing the presence of police. Biplob was injured during the gunfight, the police official added.

Biplob, who worked as a demonstrator of computer science department at Shalikha Degree College, was taken to the Satkhira Sadar Hospital where the doctors declared him dead around 7:00am.

The OC said, Halim was accused in at least two killing cases and several extortion charges in the area.

Emdadul Haq, elder brother of the victim, claimed that some five to six people wearing police uniforms and 10 to 12 people of their rival group picked up Halim from their house at Dohar village last night.

There was a longstanding dispute over land related issues with their nephew, he said.    

Rahmat Ullah, president of Satkhira district unit of BNP, told The Daily Star that Halim was an active leader of the party, alleging that Halim was killed in a planned manner as the government wants to root out BNP politics from the area.

Meanwhile, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general of BNP described the killing as cruel and strongly condemned the government for such killing in a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan headquarters.

"Image of the Rapid Action Battalion has already been tarnished as they are indulged in corruption and intentional killing. Now the government is letting loose police along with detectives to kill BNP rank and file to daunt its politics," he blamed.