Armed gangs of Joynal Hazari accompanied by police are now hunting for relatives of UNB's Feni correspondent Tipu Sultan, particularly his parents, who have gone into hiding fearing reprisal.

Sources said the gangs equipped with firearms went to Tipu's village home at Sonapur, less than two kilometres from Feni town, Wednesday evening and looked for his parents.

They asked the villagers about Tipu's parents and how they could reach them. As none could say anything about them, the gangs asked the villagers to tell Tipu's parents that Hazari had asked them to meet him immediately. Uniformed policemen were seen with the gangs

during the 'raid'.

Tipu, a young journalist who won the UNB Best Correspondent's Award last year, was mercilessly beaten by armed men reportedly belonging to the Godfather of Feni, Joynal Hazari, an MP from ruling Awami League.

Sources in Feni alleged that the terrorists, under a new platform "Class Committee" and direct patronage of Joynal Hazari, have turned the district into a terror zone, ruthlessly persecuting or killing anyone opposed to or even criticising the godfather.

They said despite overwhelming evidences of his involvement in various crimes including killings, Hazari he ^afty ^tar

enjoyed virtual immunity from law. He has turned Feni into 'a state within a state' where all opposition to him has so far been brutally suppressed, they alleged.

Tipu, filed a case with Feni Sadar thana accusing 15 persons including Hazari for beating and injuring him.

The accused also include Bidhan Majumder Suman, Executive Editor of Hazari's own weekly "Hazarika", Shajahan Shaju, a Union Parishad Chairman and Kohinur, an armed cadre of Hazari.

In his FIR, Tipu alleged that in the presence of Hazari, his armed men kidnapped him on the night of January 25 and beat him mercilessly following a UNB report on Sultana Memorial Junior School. The report was published in different dailies on January 16.

Tipu was brought to Dhaka. He was operated upon at the Orthopaedic (Pangu) Hospital Saturday afternoon. His legs and hands were fractured.

He was operated upon for the second time yesterday. Doctors said they are now desperately trying

to save both his hands from being amputated.

Tipu's family sources said that they were living in extreme fear. They said Hazari's men visited the hospital and they were not feeling safe anymore.

When contacted over telephone, Hazari categorically denied all the allegations and said it was a conspiracy to tarnish his image. He said Tipu was beaten by "miscreants" belonging to opposition BNP.

Replying to a question he said, "If there are witnesses who saw me abducting and beating Tipu, they should come to me and go to police."

He said he did not send any one to Tipu's village. "But I know that the OC of Feni went to Tipu's village home yesterday to investigate allegations against me."

Hazari said he does not fear "anything" as the "soil and people of Feni and my leader Sheikh Hasina are in my favour."

"If one can rule, he will do it," he said replying to the allegation that he "controlled everything" in Feni.