Bithar Murder

Outlaw held on suspicion

18 August 2009, 17:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Khulna

Police have arrested a leader of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) from West Baniakhamar under Khulna Sadar thana suspecting his involvement in the murder of Jubo League central leader Shahid Iqbal Bithar. The arrestee, Ikram Hossain Siam alias Akash, 32, is operations commander of Janajuddho faction of PBCB in charge of Khulna city and district. After police picked him up on Monday morning, he was shown arrested in Bithar murder case and taken on a three-day remand for interrogation. Akash was wanted in a case filed with Sonadanga Police Station of Khulna city for killing two policemen in 1999 at Sheikhpara in the city, said the investigation officer (IO) of the case, Inspector Mamun Khan of Detective Branch of Khulna Metropolitan Police. He is also accused in several criminal cases filed with different police stations in greater Khulna region. During interrogation on Monday night, Akash gave very important information about Bithar's murder, IO Mamun said. Shahid Iqbal Bithar, also a councillor of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) and director of Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was gunned down near his residence at Musalmanpara under Khulna Sadar thana on the night of July 11. Members of his family pointed their fingers at intra-party squabbles as reason for his murder while several leaders of Khulna Awami League some canal encroachers might be behind the murder as Bithar was convenor of the 19-member committee formed by the KCC mayor to conduct eviction drives.