Monday, November 7, 2011

AL leaders, lawmakers want Raju to explain stand


Awami League leaders and lawmakers at a rally in Narsingdi on Friday asked the posts and telecommunications minister, Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, to explain the steps he would take to bring killers of Lokman Hossain, the Narsingdi mayor who was shot dead on November 1, to justice.


The superintendent of police in Narsingdi, Akkas Uddin Bhuiyan, and additional superintendents of police Enamul Haque and Bijoy Bashak were, meanwhile, withdrawn on Friday night.


The police officials have been withdrawn for administrative purposes, the inspector general of police, Hasan Mahmood Khandker, told New Age on Friday night.


A new additional superintendent of police has already been appointed and he will take over the charge as acting superintendent of police as soon as possible, he added.


The withdrawal order came a day after the police at midnight past Thursday recorded a case against 14 people, including Salauddin Ahmed Bachchu, younger brother of Raju, on charge of killing Narsingdi municipal mayor Lokman.


Two cases were filed early Friday against more than 500 unnamed people over train blaze and railway station vandalism in Narsingdi on November 2.


Ten compartments of the intercity Egaro Sindur Express train burned after the train had been set on fire and the railway station vandalised during a general strike enforced on the day by the Chhatra League in protest at the killing of Lokman, who was shot dead the previous night.


The Narsingdi railway station master Maran Chandra Das and the Egaro Sindur Express guard Abdul Bari filed the cases with the Government Railway Police of Bhairab for vandalism and setting fire to the train.


The complainants said that vandalism of the railway station had caused a loss of Tk 37 million and the train blaze a loss of Tk 20 million.


Lokman’s younger brother Md Kamruzzaman filed the case with the Narsingdi police against 12 Awami League and two Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders more than 48 hours after Awami League leader Lokman, 35, elected twice chief of the Narsingdi municipality, had been shot dead by masked assailants.


Kamruzzaman filed the case against Salahuddin, telecommunications minister’s assistant private secretary Masudur Rahman Murad, former Narsingdi municipal chairman Abdul Matin Sarker, also former Narsingdi district Awami League vice-president, Narsingdi city Awami League president Montajuddin Bhuiyan, district Awami League deputy publicity secretary Mobarak Hossain Moba, local Awami League leaders Amir Hossain Amu and Manun, city Juba League president Ashraf Hossain Sarkar, local Juba League leaders Monwar Hossain Khan Moin, Hiron Mia and Kabir Sarker, and former Narsingdi Government College Central Students Union vice-president Mia Mohammad Manjur.


Narsingdi sadar upazila


BNP general secretary Nurul Islam and former district unit BNP executive committee member Tarek Ahmed, who is now in Saudi Arabia for Hajj, are also among the accused.


Former BNP lawmaker Khairul Kabir Khokan, arrested on November 2


apparently in connection with the murder and sent to jail on November 3, however, was not made accused in the case.


The police earlier arrested five local BNP activists in addition to Khairul being arrested. A Narsingdi court sent the six to jail after rejecting their bail petitions.


The superintendent of police in Narsingdi, Akkas Uddin Bhuyian, also told New Age that the case had been handed over to the Detective Branch on Friday for investigation.


Detective Branch inspector Mamunur Rashid, also the investigation officer of the case, told New Age on Friday evening that he had just received the case and he would take appropriate steps after examining the case immediately.


A close relative of the slain mayor told New Age that the filing of the case had been delayed as the family was in fear of reprisals after the ruling Awami League high command had mounted pressure on them not to sue people whom they suspect.


He alleged that the government had threatened them that they would be implicated in the case of setting fire to the


train if they did not comply with the AL leaders’ instructions in filing the murder case.


The district unit Awami League on Friday held a rally at the district Awami League office protesting against Lokman’s killing.


Addressing the rally, local lawmakers and ruling AL leaders said that the minister must explain his stand.


Raju has to say who has killed Lokman and what will be his role in bringing the killers to justice, AL lawmaker Zahirul Haque Mohan said. ‘We need to see what steps he takes.’


Lawmaker Nurul Majid Humayun urged the minister to take necessary measures to find out the killers.


Lawmaker Nazrul Islam Hiru said that the killers must be punished no matter how powerful they are.


Another lawmaker, Anwarul Ashraf Khan, demanded a proper and thorough investigation of the killing. ‘Killers can never be our friends.’


Several thousand leaders, activists, supporters and common people, wearing black badges, attended the rally, chaired by the party’s district unit president Ahaduzzaman.


The minister, now on an official tour abroad, however, claimed that the murder was part of a ‘deep-rooted conspiracy’ against the Awami League.


In a statement issued on Thursday, he also said, ‘Vested interests are creating confusion to hide the real culprits.’


Lokman’s younger brother Shamim Newaz, also the Narsingdi district Chhatra League general secretary, and SM Quaiyum, a close aide to Lokman and former central vice-president of the Chhatra League, are likely to meet the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, in the capital today.


Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1


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