Police have arrested Tangail’s Madhupur Municipality Mayor and BNP leader Shahidul Islam, better known as Sarkar Shahid. Shahid is the second elected mayor affiliated to the BNP arrested in the last few months. Another such mayor faces charges of war crimes.His supporters blocked the Tangail-Mymensingh and Tangail-Jamalpur highway in protest, setting fire to a police pickup van and vandalising other vehicles.
The District’s Additional Superintendant of Police, Hayatul Islam, said Sarkar Shahid was picked up at 10am Thursday, and arrested in connection with a complaint filed by BNP leader and municipality councillor Amzad Hossain.
Islam confirmed the incidents of arson and the torching of a police vehicle, saying hundreds of tear gas shells were fired to contain the situation.
Councillor Amzad Hossain said several billboards for his brother Abdul Latif Bhuiyan, seeking nomination from BNP for the upcoming election, were put up around the bus stand.
At 11pm Wednesday, Sarkar Shahid, panel mayor Mehedi Hasan and their supporters were pulling them down when Amzad Hossain’s men tried to stop them.
The mayor is alleged to have fired in the air and beaten up one of Hossain’s men.
The complaint, filed late on Wednesday, accuses 14 people including the municipality and the panel mayors.
Madhupur Police OC Mojibor Rahman told reporters, “The mayor was called here for tea. He was allowed to leave the station at 9am morning.”
Police summoned the Mayor again, ostensibly to impose a ‘fine’ this time, but arrested him when he arrived and sent him to court, alleged Upazila BNP vice-president Zakir Hossain Sarkar.
“Sarkar Shahid was arrested because of pressure from high-ranking police officers.”
The OC and Additional Police Superintendent declined to comment. – bdnews24.com
