UP member, Jubo League activist shot dead

A union parishad (UP) member and a Jubo League activist were shot dead by unknown assailants in Narsingdi and Jessore districts yesterday and on Sunday night.

The deceased are Arif Pathan, 45, a member of Putia Union Parishad (UP) in Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi, and Monowar Hossain, 30, an activist of Jubo League Bagdanga union unit in Monirampur upazila of Jessore.

Our Narsingdi correspondent reported that a gang of six appeared at Boroitala in the upazila in two motorbikes at around 12:30pm, sprayed bullets on UP member Arif and left the scene.

Critically injured Arif was rushed to Narsingdi General Hospital where the doctors declared him dead.

Protesting the killing, locals put up barricades on Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Boroitala area, halting traffic for two hours from 1:00pm. The also vandalised at least ten vehicles on the road.

Arif's younger brother Roman Pathan said his brother might have been killed by the supporters of Milon, who was defeated twice in the UP election in Ward No 7 of Putia Union Parishad.

The additional deputy commissioner and the police superintendent visited the spot and assured the local people of bringing the killers to book. Following the assurance, the agitated people withdrew the barricades at around 3:00pm.

No one was arrested in connection with the killing as of 5:00pm yesterday. Police said they are trying to unearth clue to the murder and arrest the killers.

In Jessore, Jubo League activist Monowar Hossain, son of Bulbul Hossain of Bagdanga village, was shot dead by an unidentified gang at Bagdanga Bazar on Sunday night.

Mollah Khabir Ahmed, officer-in-Charge of Monirampur Police station, quoted locals as saying that the gang shot Monowar while he was taking tea at a tea stall at the bazaar at around 9:00pm.

He was taken to Jessore Medical College Hospital where the doctors declared him dead.