2 AL men held for 'killing' Jubo Dal leader

Police yesterday arrested two Awami League activists in connection with the murder of a Jubo Dal leader in Shailkupa upazila on Saturday night.

The dead, Abu Jafar, 40, of Tami Nagar in the upazila, was the president of 13 Umedpur Union unit of Jubo Dal, youth front of BNP.

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Police and family sources said unknown assailants hit Jafar with sharp weapons near a canal at Royra village around 7:30pm when he was returning home.

He was first rushed to Shailkupa local health complex and then shifted to Jhenidah Sadar Hospital where he died around 11:00pm.

Around 2:00am, police arrested Ripon Hossain, an AL activist at Royra village for his alleged involvement in the murder, said Hashem Khan, officer-in-charge of Shailkupa Police Station.

Ripon's father Shitab Uddin, also an AL man, was nabbed from a nearby village around 3:30pm, he added.

Umedpur Union Parishad Chairman Sabdar Hossain Mollah, also the president of union AL, claimed the arrestees are AL activists, but not involved in the murder.

Mahtab Uddin, father of the victim, and Rakibul Hasan Dipu, general secretary of Shailkupa upazila unit of Jubo dal, demanded exemplary punishment to the killers.

The body was sent to Jhenidah Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy. A case was filed with Shailkupa Police Station.

OC Hashem Khan said they were trying to arrest the accused.

Abdul Wahab, a former BNP lawmaker from Jhenidah-2 constituency, demanded proper investigation into the incident.