Sirajganj Councillor-elect Tariqul killed for winning polls

Sirajganj, 22 Jan – Police arrested a suspect Friday from Dhaka’s Jatrabari for the murder of BNP-backed Sirajganj councillor-elect Tariqul Islam Khan just minutes after his victory in the recently concluded phase-II municipal elections. The arrestee was identified as Zahidul Islam (20), son of Tikka Bepari of Byaparipari in Sirajganj Municipality.
Police also seized the murder weapon from a pond in Sirajganj based on Zahid’s confession, said Police Super (BPM) of Sirajganj Sadar Thana Hasibul Alam in a press conference today.
Zahid, a supporter of losing candidate Shahadat Hossain, confessed to planning to murder councillor-elect Tariqul Islam in case they lost the poll to him. And they went to the polls prepared to attack him as planned on the night before the Election.
The other candidate for councillor and key suspect in the case, General Secretary of Awami League local unit Shahadat Hossain and his supporters were the masterminds behind the murder, he added.
Zahidul went from Dhaka to Sirajganj as a supporter of Shahadat three days prior to the election as planned. For the first two days he campaigned for him and on the last day he joined a meeting to plan the attack, Hasibul Alam quoted the accused to have said.
Zahid later stabbed Tariqul as planned after the result was announced and fled to Dhaka disposing of the weapon in a pond at Sirajganj.
Hasibul Alam said he and his team are working tirelessly to capture the rest of the accused and hope to be successful.
He also said, ‘Those who are involved in the murder will be brought under the law.’
Deputy Police Super of Sadar Circle Snigdho Aktar, Officer in Charge Bahauddin Faruqi and the investigation officer of the case Tariqul Islam were also present at the press conference.
Tariqul Islam Khan won the ward council election of no 6 ward by 85 votes. He was stabbed to death soon after the announcement of his victory on Saturday.
His son Ikramul Hasan Hridoy lodged a case under Sadar Thana the next day against the defeated candidate Shahadat Hossain along with 50 more known and unknown accused. – UNB