The followers of ruling party lawmaker Manjurul Islam Liton, who came into discussion following shooting an eight-year-old schoolboy, have allegedly been trying to stop publishing news against him and the protest centring the incident.
It was alleged that his gang members even torn down the posters set by the locals on Wednesday night in the upazila demanding the trial, removing him from the post and forming special tribunal in the heinous incident.
In a party meeting, Sundarganj upazila unit AL General Secretary Golam Mostafa Ahmed opined that keeping the protest centring the shooting continual was illogical as the state authorities have already taken necessary action against the MP.
Masudul Islam Chanchal, senior vice-president of Sundarganj Nagorik Songram Parishad that leads the protest, said the threat of MP Liton’s musclemen to them will have to stop urgently and only mass signature programme was on protesting the shooting.
Wishing not to be named, a source close to MP Liton said some party and local journalist leaders have already managed in exchange of huge money to prevent publishing news against him in any newspapers or news portal.
When asked, Gaibandha Superintendent of Police Md Ashraful Islam said his many sources were working to track down the whereabouts of the lawmaker.
Echoing the voice of the SP, Sundarganj police station Officer-in-Charge Israil Hossain said they were trying best to arrest the MP.
On October 2, lawmaker Liton shot class IV student Sourav, son of Sazu Miah, from Gopalcharan village in Sundarganj upazila.
Locals said the MP was going home on his car in the night and on his way he asked a man to get on his car but the man got frightened and started running. The MP then opened fire at the man that hit his son Sourav.
So far two cases – one for the incident and another on attack and vandalism charges – were launched against him and he remained on the run soon after the shooting.
Later, the district administration has already scrapped the licences of his private arms for using those illegally on several occasions.
Meanwhile, several organisations were on protest in the district town and the upazila demanding arrest of the lawmaker.
The prime minister and the home minister have said the lawmaker will have to face legal action for injuring the schoolboy allegedly under the influence of alcohol.
