83 including mayor-elect sued in Shantahar

At least 83 people, including newly elected mayor of Shantahar municipality in the district, have been sued on charge of killing Jubo League leader Shafiqul Islam.

Nurul Islam, brother of the victim, Shafiqul, 36, secretary of Shantahar union unit of Jubo League, filed the case with Adamdighi Police Station yesterday.

The accused include newly elected mayor and secretary of Shantahar municipality BNP Tofazzal Hossain Bhutto, joint secretary of Adamdighi upazila Awami League (AL) Ashraful Islam Montu, Jatiya Party (JP) upazila president SM Milon.

Of them, Montu, JP leader Abdul Latif and Shajal, a resident of the municipality, were arrested, said police.

On Friday, Shafiqul was killed and 10 others were injured as the activists of AL and its associate bodies clashed with Jatiya Party men at Shantahar municipality.

The following day, critically injured Sramik League activist Sohag Hossain, 26, son of Abdul Khaleque of Dogachi village in Noagaon Sadar upazila, died on way to Dhaka.

Locals said the incident took place over establishing supremacy in the area.

There was a longstanding conflict between local battery-run auto-rickshaw drivers and conductors, backed by the AL, and the ones of CNG-run auto-rickshaws, supported by the JP, over taking control in the area.

On the other hand, there was a tension between the two groups as AL-backed Rashedul Islam Raja blames the local JP for his defeat in the municipal polls, saying he did not get their support properly. 

The law enforcers are raiding different areas to arrest the accused, said Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Gaziur Rahman.