‘Mayor Miru patronised criminal Mintu’

Habibul Haque Mintu, the younger brother of detained Shahjadpur Mayor Halimul Haque Miru, terrorised the locality with his gang of hoodlums at the behest of his brother, locals allege. Also the general secretary of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal's Pabna unit, Mintu was expelled from the party two days after his arrest in connection with the murder of journalist Abdul Hakim Shimul. Mayor Miru is the key accused in the case filed by Shimul's wife. He was also suspended from the ruling Awami League. The brothers are currently in jail. Locals say Mintu often roamed Shahjadpur with hired goons from Sirajganj and Pabna. Shahjadpur upazila Awami League General Secretary Azadur Rahman said: “Mintu terrorised the area at the behest of his brother. On February 2, they both had firearms [during the clash between two groups]. They are the ones who shot the journalist dead.” Video footage of the day's clash also showed Mintu firing from a shotgun.Sirajganj JSD unit sources said that there were scores of allegations against Mintu that include involvement in criminal activities, non-cooperation with the party colleagues and breaching party discipline. The Pabna unit filed complaints against him with the centre last year. The party's central command dissolved the Pabna unit committee on February 4, said Aminul Islam Ranga, chief of the now-defunct committee. “The whole committee was disbanded after Mintu's arrest for the journalist murder,” Ranga said. “His activities have tarnished the party's image.” Journalist Shimul, the upazila correspondent of the Daily Samakal, was shot during the clash on February 2. He died the next day. So far, 10 accused in the murder case have been arrested. Local MP Hasibur Rahman Swapan, quoting Additional Police Superintendent Abu Hasnat, said the brothers had fired five to six shots. Pellets from one of the cartridges hit Shimul in the right eye. “Mintu was the leader of Miru's gang of hooligans. He used to bring in friends from outside and commit crimes in Shahjadpur,” Swapan said. “We have learnt that Mintu and his hired goons were behind the incidents of irregularities, ballot snatching and violence during the last municipal elections.”