Rajshahi dist BNP leader found dead

A senior BNP leader of Rajshahi was found with multiple gunshot wounds at his home in the city. He was declared dead on arrival at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) yesterday afternoon. 

The dead, Khondokar Mainul Islam, 56, was a contractor and vice-president of Rajshahi district unit BNP.

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He was former president of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and former general secretary of the District Sports Association.

Mainul was a right-handed man and a bullet pierced through his head from the left, said Enamul Haque, lecturer of forensic medicine department at Rajshahi Medical College after performing the autopsy.

"We found two bullet injuries just over his ears. The injury over his left ear was smaller than the one over his right ear," he said.

Quoting the victim's family, Shahdat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Boalia Police Station, said the incident might be an act of suicide as he was facing legal action over around Tk 56 crore unpaid loans.

"We have not yet reached a conclusion. Detectives, Rab, CID, crime scene experts and senior police officials are interrogating the family members and investigating the incident," the police official said.

Police said they recovered a licenced pistol, two empty shells, a blood-stained sandal from the victim's home in Hoseniganj area, said the OC.

Police found the sandal near the fence of the home and blood marks between the fence and the living room, where Mainul was found, he said. 

After returning home around 1:30pm, Mainul sat in the living room of their two-storey building in front of Rajshahi Fire Service and Civil Defence office, said the police official, quoting Mainul's family.

Victim's son Limon told journalists on the RMCH premises that sitting on a chair, his father shot himself dead as he had been "suffering from depression" for a long time.

Ezharul Islam, firefighter of Rajshahi Fire Service and Civil Defence office, said they rushed to the house after hearing screams. They found Mainul's family members taking blood-stained Mainul towards the main gate of the house.

The family members sought their help for taking him to a hospital.

Ariful Islam, a doctor of RMCH emergency department, said Mainul was dead on arrival. He had been bleeding profusely.

Apart from his wife, Mainul had two daughters and a son.

Wishing not to be named, a police official said Mainul's family claimed that he committed suicide, but the evidence from the crime scene creates doubt.

He said police found evidence of three bullets fired at the spot and bullet marks were seen on the wall of the living room and a vehicle parked near the room.

The police official also claimed that there was an attempt to destroy the evidence.

Seeking anonymity, one of Mainul's friends said he had an "affair" and he was going through some family trouble over the matter. He had lunch and a cup of tea with friends before returning home.

Mainul was never concerned about his unpaid loans, his friend said. He, however, declined to give any more details.

Police picked up six people, including victim's brother-in-law and his two house helps, for interrogation.