Police recovered the body of a ward-level Awami League leader with his throat slit from West Shanarpar area in Dhaka’s Demra area yesterday morning.
The deceased, Enamul Haq Gias, general secretary of Ward 8 unit of Sarulia Union Awami League, had been living in the area for 20 years and built a two-storey building.
Informed by a local, Demra police went to the spot around 11am and found the body with a slit throat slit and injury marks on the forehead and chin and his hands tied with a shirt. He lived some 200 metres from the spot.
The body was sent to the Mitford Hospital in the afternoon for autopsy.
Gias earned his living by renting out flats. His wife Nasima said he had gone out around 7pm on Friday and returned around 9pm. Around 10pm he got a phone call.
“As he was about to go out again, we asked him not to because it was quite late, but he went out saying it was emergency,” she said.
His son Mohammad Ujjal said his father’s mobile phone was switched off at 1am.
Yesterday morning, when Ujjal was returning from the London Market in the area, he heard from a neighbour that his father’s dead body was found near their residence.
Ujjal said his father had a feud a few months back with two locals named Liton and Kamal, both previously belonged to the BNP.
He said his father had influence in the area and would often act as an arbitrator. “We often told him to leave politics but he would always laugh it away,” said Ujjal.
Lipi Akhter, younger sister of the deceased, told the Dhaka Tribune that his brother might have been killed as a result of a feud within the Awami League.
Abdus Sukkur, a local Awami League leader, however, said Gias’ activities against local extortionists could be the reason behind the murder.
Lipi said they would file a case after the burial. Sub-Inspector Abdul Quddus of Demra police station said they were looking for the killers.
