Locals demand arrest, capital punishment of the killer

Several thousand villagers took out a procession and then formed a human chain beside the Kushtia-Meherpur highway yesterday, demanding arrest and capital punishment of the killer of schoolboy Antar Mahmud in Gangni upazila of Meherpur district.

The protesters also gave an ultimatum to the authorities to book the killer within 36-hours. They said tougher agitation will be launched if the killer is not arrested by then.

President of Mothmura union unit of Awami League Abul Hashem, general secretary of the unit Abdul Bari and social workers Moniruzzaman Atu and Sahabul Islam spoke at the programme.

Seven-year-old Antar Mahmud was killed allegedly by his neighbour Sabuj Ali at Baot village under Mothmura union in the upazila on Thursday night.

Antar was a second-grader at Baot Government Primary School and son of Kafirul Islam, an expatriate in the KSA.

Locals found Antar in a jute sack in a classroom of the school with his hands and legs tied and a gag in his mouth around three hours after he had gone missing from a playground in the village, Gangni police said.

Sabuj Ali, 19, who is an accused in several criminal cases, including mugging, might have committed the crime, Akram Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Gangni Police Station, said, adding that they are trying to unearth clue to the murder.