Police recovered at least eight bodies from different parts of the country on Monday. The bodies bore marks of bullet or cut injuries and their hands and legs were tied with ropes.
Of the victims, four have been identified as political activists but the identities of four others could not be known immediately.
The bodies of a BCL leader of Omar Gani MES College and his friend were recovered from a septic tank at Sholoshahar in Chittagong yesterday. Besides, two bullet-hit bodies of local Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal [JCD] and Awami Jubo League [AJL] leaders were also recovered from Chatkhil upazila in Noakhali district.
Apart from it, three decomposed bodies were recovered from River Meghna at Hatiya upzila in Noakhali district yesterday while an unidentified body of a youth was recovered from Jhenidah.
Members of Coast Guard along with police were conducting massive search surrounding Hatiya waterways suspecting more bodies till the time of filing this report last night.
In Chittagong, the victims were identified as Kamrul Islam, 18, a HSC examinee from the Omar Gani MES College and Forkan Uddin, 19, a readymade garment worker. Their hands and legs were tied by rope.
Students of Omar Gani MES College and locals took to the street at Sholosohor minutes after the bodies were recovered and damaged several vehicles. Police later brought the situation under control.
“The bodies were dumped after killing in the building under construction. Kamrul’s body was kept on top of Forkan’s. Tendons of Kamrul’s hands and legs were severed and he had no clothes on,” Tariqul Islam, Sub-Inspector of Khulshi Police Station said.
Forkan’s mother Khurshida Begum said that her son did not return home after Sunday afternoon while Kamrul’s mother Jotsna Begum said her son went out on Saturday night with Tk 20 and had been missing since.
Locals had first noticed the bodies yesterday morning and informed police.
The bullet-hit bodies of a local JCD leader Mikhail Hossain Akash, 25, and AJL activist Md Al Amin, 26, were recovered from separate places at Taherer Poll area in West Deliai under Chatkhil upazila yesterday morning.
Akash was president of Mohammadpur Union ward No 1 JCD and Al Amin was an AJL activist. They were close friends.
Residents of nearby locality at first found the bullet-hit body of Akash in a canal in the area around 7:30am. His hands and legs were tied with a rope. The body of Al Amin was found floating in a pond in the same area and his hands and legs were also tied with a rope.
Being informed police rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies and sent those to Noakhali Medical College Hospital for autopsy. Police confirmed the identity of both victims after verifying a voter ID card which was found in the pocket of Akash.
Officer-in-Charge of Chatkhil Police Station Ibrahim Khalil confirmed the incident and said, “There are two cases against Al Amin with the local police station under arms act. They both were involved in different criminal activities. We suspect the reason behind the double-murder might be an internal conflict over sharing of money and others among their cohorts.”
But the local people suspect that Akash and AL Amin were killed by rival political party men following enmity over February 27 upazila elections as both of them had extended support to a certain chairman candidate.
Police with the help of Coast Guard also recovered three decomposed bodies from the river Meghna at Hatiya upzila in Noakhali district in the afternoon. Of them, one body was recovered from Bogular Khal [canal] under Char King union at about 12:30 pm. Two other bodies were found at Killar Khal [canal] at about 3:00 pm.
Police could not ascertain their identities immediately.
Additional SP of Noakhali SM Ashrafuzzaman said, “We are searching for more bodies in the waterways. But the high tide is obstructing our operation.”
