Man killed by mob not extortionist, family claims

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Chattogram Bureau :
Former Awami League leader Mohiuddin Sohel, who was beaten to death by a mob for alleged extortion in Chattogram, was murdered in a premeditated way for his efforts to stop drug trading, his family said. .
They came up with the claim at a news conference at the Chattogram Press Club on Tuesday, a day after an angry mob beat the 42-year old to death at a market in Pahartali.
He was not an extortionist,” Sohel’s brother Shakirul Islam Shishir told journalists.Sohel was murdered after he had started work to free Pahartali from drug and terrorism on the recommendation of his political mentor Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, Shishir said. He claimed that his brother uncovered several dens of drugs, which angered local councillor Saber Ahmed and Jatiya Party leader Osman Khan.
He demanded fair trial and punishment of those who are responsible for Sohel’s death.For a long time, Sohel, along with his gang, used to extort money from each freight truck driver, traders in the area said. On Sunday, he announced that the rate of extortion has been raised from Tk 50 to Tk 100, thelocal traders claimed.
Sohel and his people attacked Osman Khan and beat him on Monday, sparking anger among the shop owners and locals who later beat Sohel to death and injured one of his associates, the traders said.
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