Party rivals mercilessly beat up BNP leader
Sent to Dhaka from Barisal in critical condition
Intra-party rivals seriously injured Nazrul Islam Rajon, central BNP assistant organising secretary for Barisal division, at Charkawa ferry terminal in Barisal city on Monday night.
Nazrul Islam Rajon, also former secretary of Barisal district BNP, came under attack at about 10:00pm when he was accompanying central BNP leaders Air Vice Marshal Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Brig Gen ASM Hannan Shah, former lawmaker Nazimuddin Alam and others, police and witnesses said.
They were returning in a motorcade after an organisational tour in Bhola.
BNP leaders and activists who witnessed the incident said Kamrul Islam Ratan, Maksud Alam Mamun, Ariful Islam Munna, Firoz Ahmed Kalu and other activists of local rival faction of BNP dragged Rajon out of his car and mercilessly beat and hacked him on the ferry.
After treatment at Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) for injuries to head, chest, eye, leg and hand, Rajon was referred to Dhaka early Tuesday as his condition deteriorated, said Dr Zahirul Islam Manik of Surgery unit-3 of SBMCH.
Rajon has been admitted to Square Hospital in Dhaka and his condition is not yet out of danger, said Rajon's elder brother Principal Abdur Rashid Khan.
When Rajon was brought to the SBMCH, he told reporters in a feeble voice that some local Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal men led by Jubo Dal leader Kamrul Islam Ratan made the attack on him.
Ratan, however, denied his involvement with the attack.
Central Jubo Dal leader Momen Shikder, who witnessed the incident, said the attackers are men of local BNP lawmaker Mojibor Rahman Sarwar, also city BNP convener and central BNP organising secretary and former mayor of Barisal City Corporation.
Rajon's brother Principal Abdur Rashid Khan, also a leader of local Awami League, and Ahsan Habib Kamal, central BNP fishery secretary and former city BNP president, claimed that activists attacked Rajon following instruction from BNP lawmaker Mojibur Rahman Sarwar.
When contacted, lawmaker Sarwar said, "I do not believe in terrorism. I demand punishment of the attackers on Rajon."
Rival BNP men also beat Rustam Mollik, president of Barisal Sadar upazila unit of BNP, at Barisal Circuit House premises in presence of BNP central leaders at about 11:00pm.
Rajon's brother Md Shajahan Khan yesterday lodged a case against BNP lawmaker Mojibor Rahman Sarwar and 11 other leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations in connection with the incident, said Zahangir Hossain, officer in charge of Barisal Kotwali model police station.
They include Kamrul Islam Ratan, Firoz Khan Kalu, Masud Hasan Mamun, Mashiur Rahman Manju, Munna and Zahid.
Police arrested Jubo Dal activist Chhoto Zahid in this connection, said Sub Inspector Nusrat of the police station.
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