Four people, including two BNP leader, were killed and 40 others injured in firing by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members on the opposition activists in the district town on Thursday morning. Three of the deceased were identified as local BNP leader Mahbub Hossain, Shihab Hossain, a Shibir activist, and Sumon Hossain, a Jubo Dal activist. Police and witnesses said Rab members launched a drive in the residence of district BNP general secretary Sahabuddin Sabu in the town around 6 am and fired gunshots at him, leaving him critically wounded. Meanwhile, some unidentified miscreants vandalised and set fire to three vehicles at Sabu’s residence. As the news of his injury spread, local Juba Dal members protesting the incident brought out a procession in Chawkbazar area where the Rab members again fired gunshots injuring BNP activist Nesar Ahmed and Jubo Dal leader Iqbal Mahud Jewel. Jewel went missing after the incident. As a sequel to it, two separate clashes between opposition activists and Rab members took place in the town’s Alia Madrasah and Jhumur Cinema Hall areas where also the law enforcers fired shots injuring 40 people. Among the injured, 25 people, including NSI member Anwar Hossain, received bullet wound. Of the injured, Mahbub, Shihab and Sumon succumbed to their wounds at Sadar Hospital. Officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station Lokman Hossain confirmed death of four people. Additional law enforcers have been deployed in the town to avert further trouble, he added. The BNP-led 18-party alliance called a daylong hartal in the district for Saturday protesting the incident. – UNB
