A local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party was killed in Satkhira and several hundred activists were detained as the joint forces continued their drives in different districts from Sunday midnight to Monday.
New Age correspondent in Satkhira reported that local BNP leader Anwarul Islam, 42, also chairman of Agardari union parishad in Stakhira, was killed in ‘shootout’ between joint forces and opposition activists at sadar upazila on Monday afternoon.
Assistant superintendent of police (sadar circle) Moniruzzaman told New Age that the joint forces conducted drive in Sikhori area of Agardari union to arrest accused in regular cases.
As the force reached the area, miscreants attacked them by hurling crude bombs and firing bullets and the police retaliated by opening fire, said Moniruzzaman.
Later on, locals rescued Anwarul in a critical condition with bullet injury. He died on the way to the Satkhira Sadar Hospital.
The victim’s brother Abdus Sabur, however, alleged that Anwarul was abducted and shot to death.
‘Few people came to our house in the morning introducing them as journalists and wanted to talk to my brother outside home. As he got out of room, they abducted him in a microbus and later he was found with bullet wounds in the area,’ said Sabur.
The police said that Anwarul had been involved in BNP politics earlier, but a few days ago he joined the Jamaat-e-Islami and was involved in all the incidents of violence that Jamaat and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, unleashed during the recent political turmoil.
The joint forces’ drives continued in several districts as they detained several hundred opposition activists.
Joint forces arrested at least 132 persons including 75 BNP men and 30 Jamaat and Shibir men in special drives till Monday morning in different areas under eight police stations of Khulna city and nine upazilas of the district.
The arrestees were wanted in connection with different cases of arson, rioting, attack on law enforcers and crimes against property, said Khulna superintendent of police Golam Rouf Khan.
The police on Monday produced at least 409 people before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka on different allegations including 175 under Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance.
Besides, joint forces also detained 58 in Chittagong, 35 in Jessore, 39 in Comilla, 25 in Lalmonithat, 18 in Joypurhat, 15 in Chapainawabganj, 20 in Bhola, 15 in Brahmanbaria, five in Chandpur, eight in Feni and several more in other districts.
The joint forces of the police, Rapid Action Battalion, Boarder Guard Bangladesh and Ansar- had begun raids in Satkhira and Lakshmipur on December 16.
