Mysterious killing of 2

Mystery shrouds the deaths of two youths whose bullet-hit bodies were found in Jhenidah early yesterday, days after they were picked up allegedly by the detective police.

Police recovered the bodies of Polash Hossain, 25, son of Golam Mostafa, and Dulal Hossain, 24, son of Nasim Biswas, from a field in Dafolbaria village of Jhenidah Sadar.

Both the youths hailed from Charkhajura village under Sadar upazila.

They were BNP activists, said Jahangir Hossain, office secretary of the party's district unit. Polash's father is the councillor of ward No 8 in Jhenidah municipality.

Family members of the deceased alleged that members of the Detective Branch of Police picked up the duo, shot them sometime on Sunday night and left the bodies in the field.

Polash was taken away from Jhenidah on Wednesday and Dulal from Chuadanga the following day.

Detectives, however, denied the allegation. Rafiqul Islam, in-charge of DB police in Jhenidah, said, "None of our teams is involved in these incidents."

On information, police rushed to the spot and sent the bodies to Jhenidah Sadar Hospital for autopsies, said Anwar Hossain, sub-inspector of Jhenidah Sadar Police Station.

The bodies bore marks of bullet injuries in the ears and bruises on the hands, said the SI.

Dulal's brother Alal Hossain said his brother was picked up by DB police from the bus stand area in Jhenidah, while relatives of Polash claimed that detectives took him from Doshmile in Chuadanga where he went to visit a relative's house.

"Many saw plainclothes DB men taking away Dulal. We went to the DB office and the local police station but they could not give us any information," said Alal.

They killed him due to his links with BNP politics, he claimed.

Polash's mother Morium Begum said her son was not accused in any case.

She filed a general diary with Jhenidah Sadar Police Station on Saturday in this regard.

Polash's wife Naznin Nahar said, "My husband was a farmer. He was not involved in any subversive activities. Then why was he killed?"

BNP leader Jahangir claimed that the law enforcers gunned them down so that no BNP activists would dare to bring out any processions in the town.