Jubo League leader Palash Karmaker, who sustained bullet injuries during a gunfight with BNP in the town on Saturday night, died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital early yesterday.

Palash, 32, joint convener of Jubo League Natore town unit, and Farhad Ali Dewan Shahin, a central committee member of Swechchasebok Dal, were injured by bullets as the activists of Jubo League and BNP locked in a fierce clash near district BNP office at Alaipur in the town at around 11:00pm.

Palash was admitted to Natore Sadar Hospital while Shahin given first. The Jubo League leader was later shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries at around 4:30am yesterday, said Zillur Rahman, officer-

in-charge (OC) of Rajpara Police Station.

Central BNP leader and former deputy minister Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu was arrested from his Natore residence early Sunday for his alleged involvement in Saturday night's gunfight at Alaipur. District BNP enforced a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district on Monday protesting the arrest of Dulu.

Shariful Islam Ramzan, Jubo League district unit

president, claimed that his party men brought out a procession in the town on Saturday night protesting the 18-party alliance's blockade programme on Sunday. When the processionists reached near Dulu's residence at Alaipur, BNP men opened fire, leaving Palash injured.

On the other hand, district BNP General Secretary Aminul Haque claimed that Swechchasebok Dal leader Shahin was injured in an armed attack by Jubo League activists at Alaipur.

Immediately after the incident, Mortuza Ali Bablu, Sramik League Natore unit general secretary, filed a case with Natore Sadar Police Station, accusing Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu and 14 other BNP leaders and activists, said Officer-in-Charge Abdullah Al Mamun of the police station.