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Outlaws regroup in southwestern districts ahead of polls

Their 7-pt 'action programme' includes bomb attack on law enforcers, passenger transports and toll collection

AMANUR Aman, Kushtia
Listed outlaw’s and criminal gangs have regrouped in several southwestern districts including terror-infested Meherpur, Chuadanga, Jhenidah and Kushtia ahead of the upcoming upazila and parliamentary elections.
The outlaws and criminals belonging to different parties who earlier fled away to evade arrest have returned their respective areas and started activities by regrouping their cadres and midlevel leaders. They are working on instructions of their top leaders who are still in their hideouts.
Besides reorganising cadres and supporters, they are recruiting new 'cadres' to increase their strength and establish supremacy in theie areas again.
They are collecting tolls, mainly from businessmen, government and non-government officials and contractors.
The criminals are also maintaining close links with some political leaders of major political parties who are known as ’patrons' of outlawed parties.
Several outlawed parties, after a joint meetings, have taken up a seven- point 'programme'. The meeting held In a hideouts in Jhenidah district called for unity of all outlawed parties to launch the 'action programme' immediately.
The programme includes bomb attack on law enforcers, educational institutions, passenger transports and important places in ten districts of the region, toll collection form businessmen, distribution of leaflets, recruiting new cadres and avenging killing of party cadres in 'crossfire'.
Several outlawed parties including Purbo Banglar Communist party (ML), its factions Janajuddho and Lal Patak and Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF) have supported the unity move and the and action programme, sources said.
The parties are determined to avenge the killing' of Janajuddho
leader Abdur Rashid Malltha alias Dada Tapon, its second-in-command and Dada's younger brother Golam Hossain Akash, its regional leader Abdur Rashid Tikka in 'crossfire' in Kushtia in June this year and I al Patak boss Dr. Mizanur Rahman TUtul in Naogoan last month.
Some of the cadres are working with political leaders including some former BNP lawmakers in Kushtia, Meherpur, Chuadanga and Jhenidah. They are also regularly attending different political programmes.
A lawyer, who is brother of a former lawmaker, now control a number of outlawed cadres in absence ofhis brother in Kushtia.
A college principal and a former upazila chairman and BNP leader and an Awami League (AL) leader are maintaining liaison with the outlaws in Kushtia, the sources said.
A former BNP lawmaker in Meherpur and another in Chuadanga are patronising the
outlaws there. The Meherpur lawmaker is allegedly patronizing Dukhu Bahini, a notorious gang, which killed three brothers at a remote Meherpur village on Monday.
According to different sources, some mid level leaders of BNP, AL and Jamuat, who are aspirants to contest the upcoming upazila polls, are sheltering the criminals to establish supremacy in their areas.
A number of ranking police officials in the region admitted that the criminals are regrouping under the shelter of political leaders.
"Use of outlaws and criminals during election in the region is an old practice. Political leaders traditionally use outlaws in vote rigging", said a senior police official in Khulna seeking anonymity.
“A number of godfathers of outlaws arc political leaders belonging to major parties and most of them are still untouched”, he said over phone.