Murder of AL Leader Azad
Protesters block intersection of 3 highways in B'baria
Aggrieved at Sunday's murder of local Awami League leader AKM Iqbal Azad, protesters agitate, blocking Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Sarail upazila under Brahmanbaria district yesterday morning.Photo: STAR
Transport movement on Dhaka-Sylhet, Sylhet-Comilla and Mymensingh-Chittagong highways remained suspended for two hours yesterday morning as supporters of slain Awami League (AL) leader AKM Iqbal Azad put barricades in Sarail upazila under the district protesting the killing. AKM Iqbal Azad, 55, Sarail upazila unit vice-president of AL, was stabbed to death by a rival faction in Sarail upazila on Sunday. Aggrieved at the brutal killing, hundreds of AL leaders and activists took to the streets around 9:00am yesterday and put barricades at different points from Khatihata Biswa Road to Kuttapara, the intersection of the three highways. The protesters also went into rampage at Sarail Bazar and vandalised at least 10 shops. A 10km jam was created on each of the highways due to the barricades. The agitators withdrew the blockade around 11:00am when police rushed to the spot and assured them of arresting the killers, said M Shah Alam Bakaul, assistant superintendent of police of Brahmanbaria (Sadar Circle). Members of Border Guard Bangladesh and Rapid Action Battalion have been deployed on the highway to avert further untoward incident. Md Dulal Khan, manager of Azad's business house, blamed Md Mahfuz Ali, Sarail upazila AL organising secretary, for the killing. "Mahfuz on Friday confined local Jubo League President advocate Md Shafiq following an in-party conflict but Azad and his men rushed to the spot and rescued him. On that day, Mahfuz threatened Azad to face dire consequences," Dulal said. Contacted, Md Gias Uddin, officer-in-charge of Sarail police station, said, "Men led by Sarail upazila Awami League organising secretary Md Mahfuz Ali brutally killed Azad. Police are trying to arrest the killers." UNB adds: The angry protesters set fire to Mahfuz Ali's house at Kuttapara and that of his father-in-law Ismat Ali, also an AL leader, at Syed Dula.
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