7-murder comes up in N'ganj polls campaign

The councillor election in ward no-2 of Narayanganj has drawn attention of voters as the wife of slain ward councillor Nazrul Islam is running against a contestant who was primarily implicated in the sensational seven-murder case.

Selina Islam Beauty, wife of slain Narayanganj City Corporation councillor and panel mayor Nazrul Islam, is going to contest the December 22 election against Iqbal Hossain whose name was dropped from the charge sheet.

Iqbal is facing another case, according to his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission. 

Seven people, including Nazrul and senior lawyer Chandan Sarkar, were abducted from Dhaka-Narayanganj link road on April 27, 2014. Later, their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya.

Beauty, also the plaintiff of the seven-murder case, alleged that Siddhirganj thana Awami League General Secretary Yeasin Mia and his supporters were threatening her followers not to campaign and cast vote for her.

Yeasin is known as a close aide to Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the seven-murder case.

Beauty said she received an anonymous letter a few days ago that asked her to quit the election race and not to push ahead with the seven-murder case. Otherwise, she would have to face death like her husband, it added.

“I informed the police and election officials about the letter and filed a general diary with Siddhirganj Police Station. I fear whether voters would be able to cast their votes freely,” she told The Daily Star.

“I am contesting the polls just to fulfill my late husband's dream of making the ward free from drugs trade. I want to complete the unfinished works of my husband,” the councillor hopeful said.

Beauty had won the by-election to the ward following the killing of her husband over two and a half years ago.

Talking to this correspondent, Yeasin denied the allegations against him.

“Why should we threaten her [Beauty] campaigners?” he questioned.

Rafiqul Islam, inspector (investigation) of Siddhirganj Police Station, said the anonymous letter was sent to Beauty from Tejgaon of Dhaka. The police were investigating the incident, he added.

Twenty-seven wards of Narayanganj City Corporation will go to polls on Thursday.