Follow-up
Trader murder triggers protest
Businessmen and locals of Golapganj upazila in Sylhet form a human chain yesterday demanding arrest of killers of local trader Awal Khan on SaturdayPhoto: STAR
The business and social leaders held a protest rally at Golapganj upazila headquarters in Sylhet yesterday demanding arrest of the criminals who killed businessman Abdul Awal Khan and seriously injured his nephew Sufian Ahmed Khan. Protesting the heinous crime, the businessmen also formed a human chain and kept their shutters down for an hour. On Saturday night, alleged activists of ruling Awami League-backed Chhatra League (BCL) hacked Abdul Awal Khan, 60, and his nephew Sufian Ahmed Khan, 28, at their business firm at Golapganj Choumohani, leaving them seriously injured. They were rushed to Golapganj upazila health complex, wherefrom Awal was shifted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. He succumbed to his injuries there on Sunday. At yesterday's protest rally, the speakers urged the administration to take stern action against drug trade that is leading a section of youths astray and instigating them to commit serious crimes. The drug peddlers and their godfathers must be resisted to save the young generation, they said. AL leader Mizanur Rahman Rinku, businessman Saiful Islam, Golapganj municipality councillor Ruhin Ahmed Khan, also former general secretary of the upazila BCL, and Abdul Ahad, president of local press club spoke, among others. Earlier on Friday, Sufian and his family men and neighbours asked some drug peddlers to immediately stop supply of the harmful items in the area, said several locals, adding that the attack on Awal and Sufian might be a sequel to it. Five gunshots were also fired during the attack, they said. "A group of BCL men made the attack. Action will be taken against the attackers," Sylhet Superintendent of Police Shakhawat Hossain said. "A case has been filed against Jamil, Jamal, Maruf, Opu, Jibon, Salim and Matiur Rahman -- all BCL activists. None of them however could be arrested yet. There had been a long standing rivalry between the groups over establishing supremacy in the municipal headquarters," said Golapganj police station officer in charge Inspector Abdur Razzaque Khan.
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