Police are allegedly threatening supporters of slain Fulgazi upazila chairman with dire consequence if they go on with the agitation programmes demanding punishment to those involved in the murder of Ekram.
The demonstrations that have been taken place over the last consecutive 20 days protesting the murder seemed to have died down with the threat of law enforcers.
Police officials of the district are allegedly carrying out raids on the houses of Ekram supporters and threatening them to stop their ongoing programmes that include mass signature campaign, hartal, formation of human chain and protest rally.
Along with police members of district Awami league and close associates of local ruling party lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari are also intimidating Ekram supporters to suppress the movement, said a supporter of Ekram.
As a part of the latest demonstration programmes, members of Nagarik Committee and Ekram Mancho announced to hold a 48-hour general strike at Fulgazi but no one was found active on the hartal day.
Nizam supporters along with the law enforcers went to one of the conveners of Ekram Mancho and Jubo League leader of Fulgazi Golam Rabbani’s house last Tuesday and threatened him. After that, he disappeared.
Police also raided the house of Jakir Hossain, a leader of Bazar Banik Samity and general secretary of Fulgazi Sadar Union, last Tuesday and since then he has also gone into hiding.
The Dhaka Tribune correspondent tried several times to reach both Rabbani and Jakir but their mobile phones were found switched off.
However, Ahmed Nasir Uddin, officer-in-charge of Fulgazi police station, said police would never bar Ekram supporter from staging demonstrations, rather they would help them.
Meanwhile, Fulgazi Upazila Awami League President Jamal Uddin and acting secretary Nurul Islam in a joint statement on Tuesday late night said there was no existence of Ekram Mancho and Nagarik Committee in the upazila.
However, the agitation programmes and demonstration over the past 20 days were organised under the banners of Ekram Mancho and Nagarik Committee.
Rezaul Haque Jashim, elder brother of Ekram, said police along with supporters of district Awami League suppressed the movement.
He alleged that police were staging drama in the name of investigation, as there was no progress and the mastermind still not arrested.
When contacted, Abdur Rahman, president of Feni district Awami League, denied the allegation of threatening Ekram supporters. “I also want the killers be punished.”
After the death of Ekram on May 20, police so far arrested 25 people. Of them, 13 have given confessional statements where the names of local ruling party lawmaker Nizam Hazari, and his associates Jahangir Adel and Jiaul Mister came up.
In the latest development, district police have taken local shooter Engineer Rasel on a five-day remand.
He was arrested by district DB police on Tuesday night around 9:30pm from Academy Road area.
Paritosh Gosh, superintendent of police of Feni, told the Dhaka Tribune that the investigation was under progress and the police were arresting the criminals.
No one involved in the murder would be spared, he said adding that there was no question of saving the criminals.
Asked about intimidating the people involved in demonstration he said there was no question of giving threat to anybody. This is nothing but a baseless claim, he said.