Detained outlaw's aides kill Pabna Jubo League man

Some men of a detained leader of an outlawed party hacked a local Jubo League leader to death over previous enmity at Shatgacha village under Atghoria upazila of the district yesterday.

The victim Rafiqul Islam, 30, son of Juran Sardar of the village, also an activist of union unit of Jubo League, was a fertiliser trader.

Outlawed criminals killed him over the arrest of Abul Kalam Azad, 35, regional leader of outlawed Nakshal Bahini, Rafiqul's family members alleged.

Police had arrested Azad with firearms on November 5.

Police and the family sources said seven to eight armed men attacked Rafiqul while he was taking his 11-year-old son Siam Hossain to school on a motorbike.

"Rafiqul's son narrowly escaped from the attackers, but the criminals hacked Rafiqul in front of him," Monir Hossain, elder brother of the victim, said.

Siam recognised some of the attackers, so Rafiqul's family could know that they were men of Azad, he added.

"They killed my brother as they thought he was responsible for Azad's arrest," Monir said.

Ekdanta Union Parishad Chairman Md Ismail Sardar said Rafiqul had a longstanding enmity with Adam, but it is not clear why he was killed.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Atghoria Police Station Md Faruk Ahmed said police sent the body to Pabna General Hospital morgue for autopsy.

"We have come to know that followers of Azad led the attack, and we are trying to identify them," the OC added.

Some local issues might be behind the murder, the OC said.