Attack on Councillor
Half-day hartal in Bagerhat today
A half-day hartal has been called in the district town today, demanding action against the culprits who attacked a ward councillor, also a former Jubo League leader on Saturday afternoon.
Victim Sardar Shamim Ashhan, 43, former general secretary of the district unit AL front organisation and councillor of ward No. 01 was allegedly attacked by a leader of a pro-BNP body on Saturday.
Protesting the attack, local leaders and activists of the ruling party vandalised the houses of two BNP leaders. At least five policemen were injured during the incident.
Quoting witnesses police said, Shamim was taking tea at a stall in front of his office on Saturday.
All of a sudden, organising secretary of Swechhasebok Dal district unit Khadem Niamul Kadir appeared on the scene and started beating Shamim with the help of a wooden rod taken from a nearby furniture shop.
He left the place after Shamim fell down on the ground.
Shamim was rushed to a private clinic in Khulna from where he was shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Yesterday morning, the agitated AL men brought out a procession and swooped on the houses of Niamul Kader and municipal BNP unit president Sheikh Shahed Ali and vandalised them.
Abu Jihad Fakhrul Alam, inspector (investigation) at Bagerhat Model police station, said there was a longstanding feud between the councillor and the attacker, over establishing supremacy in the area.
Khadem is accused in at least seven cases filed with the police station, the police inspector said, adding that he is now on bail in the cases.
Acting officer in-charge (OC) of the police station Mizanur Rahman said that they were trying to nab the attacker.
Police in a drive on Saturday night detained the elder brother of the accused, he said.
No case was lodged till filing this report yesterday evening, the OC added.
The municipal council convened an emergency meeting yesterday morning over the attack and called a half-day hartal from 6:00am in the municipal area today, demanding arrest of the attackers.
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