Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the killers of upazila chairman Sanaullah Noor Babu in Natore will be brought to justice, no matter who they are.
She was addressing the Awami League Central Working Committee meeting at her political office in Dhanmondi.
Briefing journalists afterwards, AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said the persons involved in the killing will be identified through video footage and brought to trial.
Meanwhile, BNP yesterday announced a two-day programme to protest the killing. It will stage demonstrations in the divisional and
district headquarters today and in the capital on Tuesday. Its local unit will observe a day-long strike in Natore today.
The main opposition party accused the prime minister of provoking the murder of Babu, chairman of Boraigram upazila and president of Bonpara municipality BNP.
In a late-night development, Mahua Noor Kachi, wife of the slain chairman, filed a murder case with Boraigram Police Station, accusing 27 leaders and activists of local AL
Contacted, Anwar Ali, officer-in-charge of the police station, said Mahua filed the case at around 11:30pm. None was arrested as of filing the report at 1:30am.
Earlier in the evening, Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker told The Daily Star they have already identified the suspected killers and ascertained the motive for the murder. The law enforcers were trying their best to arrest the killers.
The victim's family, however, alleged that those involved in the killing were still roaming freely at Bonpara Bazar. Some of them were even seen with the police after the murder, they claimed.
Local police said they could not arrest anyone, as no case was filed and they have yet to identify the culprits.
Rafiqul Islam, superintendent of police in Natore, said, “We could not collect any video footage and eyewitness accounts, as our main focus was on preventing further violence.”
He also told The Daily Star that no case was filed yet, as Babu's family was busy burying him. "Once a case is filed, we will start looking for the accused.”
Babu was beaten to death during a procession of his party at Bonpara Bazar on Friday.
ALCWCMeet
At the ALCWC meeting, Hasina said those who are trying to blemish the government's image through unlawful activities will be brought to book at any cost.
She said her government would take actions against the culprits behind the upazila chairman killing, irrespective of their political allegiance.
Meeting sources told The Daily Star that the prime minister herself spoke of the use of video footage to identify the culprits.
She observed that Natore is a politically-sensitive area where the BNP-Jamaat men tortured the AL men between 2001 and 2006.
AL, however, did not do anything in revenge after coming to power in fanuary last year, she added.
During the news briefing after the meeting, Syed Ashraf said if the press publishes unlawful acts involving AL men, it helps the law enforcement agencies to take action. BNPPROTESTS
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain announced the agitation programme at a press briefing at the party headquarters at Nayapaltan in the capital.
Describing the killing as heinous and brutal, he alleged the government is killing BNP leaders one after another to eliminate the opposition.
“People will resist the misrule of the Awami League government by forging a tough movement under the leadership of Khaleda Zia," he added.
Delwar said the prime minister cannot evade responsibility for the killing, as she had provoked the killers by having the president grant mercy to the convicted killers of Gama in Natore.
After the briefing, BNP leaders and workers held a gayebana janaza in front of the party office.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Upazila Chairman and Vice-chairman Oikya Parishad yesterday demanded the government arrest the killers of their colleague immediately.
It said will hold a rally in Natore tomorrow to protest the killing of Babu.
Parishad's convener Abdul Mazid made the announcement at a programme at the city's Engineers' Institute.
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