Top Noor attack accused found dead

Source: STAR file

This file photo shows wreckage of 39 burnt motorbikes of the activists of Awami League and its front organisations, bearing testimony to the extent of barbaric attack on a December 14 march led by AL lawmaker Asaduzzaman Noor near Ramganj, eight km off Nilphamari town, is kept on the premises of Nilphamari Sadar Police Station.

A prime accused of the last month attack on the convoy of Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor was found dead in Nilphamari Sadar upazila this morning.

Five people including four local Awami League men were killed when activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, attacked the motorcade of Noor, also a noted actor was not a minister during the attack, on December 14 last year.

Locals of Palash Bari village at first saw the body of Golam Rabbani, 35, son of Mujibur Rahman, of Dubachuri village in the upazila, near a bamboo cluster in a local crematory around 6:00am and informed police, reports our Nilphamari correspondent.

Police recovered the body around 8:30am, said Asad (full name could not be known), a Sub-inspector (SI) of Sadar Police Station.

Injury marks were found on the deceased's head, cheek and throat, the police official added.

A case was filed with the police station in this connection, the SI added.

Rabbani, who was hiding at his maternal uncle's house in Durgam Bargasin village in Tentulia upazila of Panchagarh as five cases were filed against him in connection with the attack, said Shahana, wife of the deceased, told The Daily Star.

Early Wednesday, 18 people, carrying arms, had identified themselves to be personnel of Rapid Action Battalion went to the house and took Rabbani away, she claimed.

Shahana came to know about her husband's picking up over mobile but her in-laws are not sure whether the armed people were Rab personnel.

Awami League cadres might have kidnapped Rabbani early Wednesday as the armed people were in civil dresses, she told The Daily Star.

Locals alleged that Rabbani was an extortionist and also a local BNP leader who joined Jamaat-e-Islami around three months ago.

Noor's convoy came under attack while he was returning to Nilphamari town after visiting Laxmichap, Shishatoli and Palash Bari villages where Jamaat men two days ago torched some 80 shops and storehouses belonging to Hindus and AL activists.