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PBCP-Janajuddho claims it killed Mongla BNP leader

Two picked up as suspects

Staff Correspondent, Khulna
The Janajuddho faction of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-J) in a faxed message yesterday claimed responsibility for Thursday's murder of Abdul Baton, president of Bagerhat district unit of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal.
The message signed by PBCP-J Khulna Bagerhat Regional Committee Secretary Ripon Ahmed and sent to Khulna Press Club at 7:05pm yesterday said Baten was killed for what it said was deception of the toiling masses and his immoral character. It also labelled him as a class enemy.
The 50-year-old was bombed to death in a drive-by attack near his Madrasah Road house in Mongla town at about 8:00 Thursday night.
Witnesses said the attackers hurled a bomb at his head from a running motorbike when he was returning home alone from Mongla BNPoffice.
Besides being the president of Bagerhat district unit of the workers wing of ruling BNR Baten was also the vice president of the district unit
and president of Mongla upazila unit of BNP. He was the first elected chairman of Mongla Pourasabha and held the office for 18 years in a row.
The assassinated leader was buried at his family graveyard following namaz-e-janaza at several places, including the district BNP office, after Friday prayers.
Police arrested Shamim, 22, and Salam, 23, as suspects. Police also nabbed Rakibul Islam, 30, driver of the motorcycle used by killers, in Joymoni village under Mongla upazila early yesterday morning. The motorcycle (Kushtia-Ha-11-1744) was recovered from Boroitala an hour after the FROM PAGE 12 murder.
The killing of the BNP leader sparked widespread protest, agitation and political backlash in the port town in the southwestern region, dubbed as the valley of death for unrelentingoutlawviolence.
Mongla Port remained virtually paralysed yesterday, with cargohandling operations suspended, and normal life in the township came to a standstill due to an indefinite strike enforced by the ruling four-party alliance protesting the killing.
Local leaders of the ntling alliance have decided to carry on the general shutdown in the town and the Mongla Port 'cripple' programme until Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury goes there and assures them of arresting the killers.
Police said, following the killing, the mob unleashed a series of attacks, wrecking at least 50 vehicles, damaging nine business establishments and setting fire to another business firm in the town from Thursday night till yesterday noon.
The four-party alliance took out a protest procession yesterday and demanded immediate arrest and trial of the culprits involved in the murder.
Police fired at least seven rounds of blank shots yesterday noon when they came under attack by angry protesters belongingto BNR
A mob attacked and ransacked the Mongla office of main opposition Awami League (AL) yesterday. At one point, when police tried to prevent the demonstrators from setting fire to the AL office, a clash erupted between the two sides leaving at least 12 leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations injured.
Apprehending bloody clashes after angry protesters of BNP and its front organisations damaged the AL office, riot police were deployed in the town.
Meanwhile, strongly condemning the murder, leaders of Bagerhat AL said the murder was a result of intra-party feud.
On Thursday night, when violence erupted in the town following the murder, joint security forces had fired at least 35 rounds of blank shots to bring the situation under controL
As the news of Baten's death spread, hundreds of protesters took to the streets that night and incensed BNP activists attacked Mongla Police Station and local office of the AL
The demonstrators also put up barricades on the Khulna-Mongla Highway, cutting road- links of the port town with the divisional headquarters. ’