4 UP chairmen killed in SW region since Jan
Four union parishad (UP) chairmen were murdered in the south-western region of the country from January to November 16 this year.
Shawkat Ali, chairman of Nirbashkhola Union Parishad under Jhikargachha upazila of Jessore district, was the latest victim of murder committed on the night of November 16 near his residence.
Of the remaining three UP chairmen, Prakash Chandra Saha of Haridashkati union under Monirampur upazila of Jessore was murdered on February 2, Sarder Abu Saeed Badal of Damodar union under Phultala upazila of Khulna on August 16, and Mizanur Rahman of Natipota union under Damurhuda upazila of Chuadanga on October 12.
With these, the number of UP chairmen killed in the region since 1998 now stands at 28.
Senior officials of the intelligence agencies and police department said most of the 28 UP chairmen lost their lives in armed and bomb attacks centring link with extremists and political rivalries over local elections.
Some murders were committed to take revenge for the previous ones, they added.
Most of the incumbent chairmen have shifted their families to safer places for security reason. As a result, they are failing to properly participate in development activities in their respective areas.
Expressing grave concern at the rise in murder of UP chairmen, Khulna divisional President of Bangladesh Union Parishad Forum Gazi Tafsir Ahmed said elected representatives have been made targets of their rivals centring upcoming UP elections.
Government must intensify the ongoing combing operations to arrest the killers and recover all arms and ammunition used to kill UP chairmen for ensuring security of the sitting UP chairmen, he added.
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