An eight-year-old boy was shot thrice by the ruling party lawmaker of Gaibandha’s Sundarganj when the child was jogging with his uncle early yesterday.
Later, supporters of the lawmaker, Md Manjurul Islam Liton, barred an ambulance from carrying the injured boy, Shahadat Hossain Sourov of Gopalcharan village, on the way to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for better treatment.
Locals, who staged a demonstration demanding justice, alleged that the police were trying to divert the incident to save the lawmaker, who is also the president of Sundarganj upazila unit Awami League.
They also alleged that MP Liton had opened fire under the influence of alcohol.
Sundarganj police chief Jinnat Ali, who had to intervene to make way for the ambulance, said that he had heard about the allegation against the lawmaker. “But the witnesses are not giving statement out of fear.
“No one came to the police station to file a complaint about the incident. So, we are investigating the incident to trace the shooter,” he said.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdul Hye Milton also went to Bamondanga where the ambulance had been obstructed by the ruling party supporters. He, however, refused to comment on the shooting incident.
Superintendent of Police Md Ashraful Islam avoided queries while the lawmaker could not be reached over the phone despite repeated attempts.
Liton was elected an MP, for the first time, in the 10th national elections held last year.
Injured Sourov, son of hawker Sazu Mia, is a student of class IV at Gopalcharan Primary School in the area.
Agitated locals led by Sundarganj Municipality Mayor Md Abdullah Al Mamun demonstrated in the afternoon demanding justice. They formed a human chain, brought out a procession and blocked Gopalcharan-Brac intersection in protest against the incident. But the police dispersed the protesters.
Mayor Mamun is the president of ward 9 unit Awami League. Upazila Awami League’s Joint General Secretary Golam Mostafa Babul and Organising Secretary Sajedul Islam, and Swechchhasebak League President Golam Kabir Mukul also condemned the incident and demanded proper investigation.
According to witnesses and police, MP Liton was going to his Bamondanga residence from Sundarganj by his car around 6am. On the way, he asked a woman, who was jogging on the street near Gopalcharan-Brac intersection, to get on his car but she ran away out of fear.
Then the MP asked another man to get on his car. But he started running too. At that time, the MP opened fire at the man injuring Sourov. He then left the scene.
Sourov’s uncle Shahjahan Ali said that the lawmaker, who had been drunk, stopped his car at Gopalcharan-Brac intersection.
“He first beckoned me and then asked me to hop on. But the driver gestured that I should leave the place. As I started to run, the MP opened fire from his pistol injuring Sourov,” Shahjahan said adding the MP also hurled abuse.
Sourov corroborated the statement of his uncle. At the hospital, Sourov told reporters that he used to walk with his uncle every morning. He said that he had fallen on the road after the bullets hit his legs. “I did not see my uncle around and started crying seeing blood on the road.”
Locals first took him to Sundarganj Upazila Health Complex. Later he was shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
Duty doctor at the hospital’s paediatric surgery unit Shuvo Kumar Das said that Sourov had two bullet injuries on his left leg and one on the right. The bullets apssed through his legs creating exit wounds.
Sourov’s mother Selina Begum demanded that the lawmaker be brought to book.
Sundarganj police Sub-Inspector Kabirul Hassan went to the hospital and took statements of Sourov and his parents.
Locals alleged that the outrageous lawmaker misbehaved with the government officials and others on several occasions in the past.
On May 25 last year, Liton and his men assaulted two assistant magistrates who had raided Bamondanga College premises in the presence of then deputy commissioner Ehsan Elahi to stop indecent activities in the name of circus. The MP’s wife, who is president of the college’s governing body, engaged in an altercation with the magistrates.
Several Awami League leaders and activists were arrested in a case filed by the magistrates. Later, a senior Awami League leader mediated to settle the matter outside the court.
Earlier, Gias Uddin Ahmed, the ruling party lawmaker from Gafargaon in Mymensingh, shot at agitating locals from his SUV in Kandipara Bazar area on May 19, 2012.
On July 21 this year, police submitted charge sheet against Awami League lawmaker Pinu Khan’s son Bakhtiar Alam Rony for the death of two people near Dilu Road.
Rony, who was under the influence of alcohol, opened fire from his SUV indiscriminately near Dilu Road on April 13, leaving two people – rickshaw-puller Abdul Hakim and the daily Janakantha’s auto-rickshaw driver Yakub – injured. Hakim succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on April 15 while Yakub died on April 23.
