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Grenade attack on Khulna mayor

Tayebur escapes unhurt as Pakistan-made grenade did not blast

STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Khulna
It was a close shave for Khulna City Mayor Shaikh Tayebur Rahman yesterday, as a hand grenade thrown at his car in an assassination bid did not explode in the southwest industrial city dubbed as the valley of death.
The 70-year-old mayor fell sick from hypertension triggered by the abortive attack his family linked to a letter death threat last year.
Tayebur was heading back home after attending a function organised
by Khulna unit of Islami Samaj Kalyan Parishad, an Islamic social welfare group, at the United Club Auditorium at noon.
Police seized the Pakistani-made grenade from the road near Khulna City Corporation (KCC) and sent it to army explosives experts for chemical test, but could not specify the motive for the attack on the ruling BNP's frontline local leader.
"Any explosion could have caused heavy casualties," said Officer-in-Charge Mosharef
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Hossain of Khulna Police Station.
"The powerful grenade was made in Pakistan," a high official of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) said, adding the assailants forgot to take the pin off the grenade -- the reason it did not explode.
Witnesses said the attackers secreted themselves in Shaheed Hadis Park to home in on the mayor's official car that also carried KCC Public Relations Officer Abu Taher.
The attack that came at 2:35pm is reminiscent of the killings of New Age newsman Manik Saha in a bomb attack on January 15 and main opposition Awami League city unit president Manzurul Imam on August 25 last year in a city reeling from underground violence.
High police officials visited the scene after the incident that sent hundreds of people including political leaders, KCC officials and employees flocking to the Gagan Babu Road home of the mayor to see him.
Outraged at the attempt on the mayor's life, the KCC Karmachari Union brought out a procession and decided to stay off work for an hour today in symbolic protest.
The KCC unionists threatened to enforce a shutdown of the corporation, going on an indefinite strike if the attackers were not arrested by this evening.
Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Mia Golam Parwar, also president of the welfare group's Khulna chapter, and its General Secretary Saidul Huq condemned the attack.
Khulna district and city BNP leaders and activists in sharp reaction demanded immediate arrest of
the attackers, but adherents of the pro-mayor group and supporters of the district BNP brought out protest processions that ended up in chases and counter-chases in an apparent internal conflict spreading panic.
Acting Police Commissioner Sajjad Ali said police opened a vigorous investigation into the attack.
A general diary was filed with Khulna Police Station and security was tightened in the city and around the mayor's home.