Staff Reporter :
A leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) was killed in a ‘gunfight’ with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Tuesday in connection with the killing of a teenager in the city’s Hazaribagh area.
Another accused, also a BCL activist, was killed yesterday in a ‘gunfight’ with Detective Branch (DB) of Police over shooting a baby in her mother’s womb in Magura.
The victims have been identified as Arju Mia, 28, President of Hazaribagh BCL unit and Mehedi Hasan Ajibor, 34, son of Abdul Malequ at Doharpar. He was an activist of Magura Municipality BCL unit, police said.
A patrol team of RAB-2 went to conduct a drive along with Arju Mia. At one stage, some miscreants tried to take away Arju from the RAB, triggering a gunfight between the RAB members and the miscreants. Arju was killed during the ‘gunfight’, said RAB’s Legal and Media Wing Director Mufti Mahmud Khan.
He also said that the RAB men recovered two arms from the spot.
Mufti Mahmud claimed RAB detained Arju Mia at about 11:00 Monday night. Local people and relatives said Arju and his cohorts tortured the teenaged boy to death alleging that the boy stole a mobile phone set.
Deceased’s sister Rehana Begum said, Arju was held yesterday after allegedly beating dead Raja in Hazaribagh. Two others Monir and Sagor were also said to have been involved in the act.
On Monday, the victim Raja, 16, was tortured to death allegedly by Arju and his cohorts Monir, Sujan, and Sagar, in Dhaka’s Hazaribagh area. Meanwhile, police detained three associates of Arju in connection with the murder.
In Magura, another BCL activist and accused in the lawsuit filed over shooting pregnant mother here has been killed in ‘gunfight’ in the morning.
On information that a group of criminals had gathered at Doarpara orphanage, a joint team of detectives and police conducted a raid there around 1:00am, said AKM Ehsan Ullah, Superintendent of Police in Magura.
“Sensing the police presence, the criminals opened fire on the law enforcers, triggering a gunfight between them,” the SP said.
After the gunfight, police found a Mehedi’s dead body on the spot. Police also recovered two firearms, two bullets and two bottles of Phensidyls.
Mehedi started politics with Magura Municipality BCL unit in 2003. Mehedi’s father was also a known Awami League activist of the town.
A total of 16 people were accused in the case that was filed over the shooting on pregnant mother which took place between two groups of BCL at Doharpar in Magura town on July 23.
One was killed during the factional clash while eight-month-pregnant Nazma Khatun was shot in the abdomen. The bullet pierced through her baby Suraya’s right shoulder, also injuring her right eye.
Miraculously, the baby girl survived after a two-hour caesarean on her 35-year-old mother at Magura General Hospital on the same night.
Police have so far arrested nine persons in connection with the case.
