The Rapid Action Battalion yesterday claimed that local Awami League leader Jihad Chowdhury had masterminded the killing of Fulgazi Upazila Chairman Ekramul Haque.
Interrogating eight people, seven of whom were arrested from the capital and another from Feni, RAB found that internal feud between Jihad and Ekram over establishing supremacy led to the killing that took place four days back in broad daylight in Feni town.
However, Jihad Chowdhury, joint secretary of Fulgazi upazila unit Awami League, is still at large.
Seven of the arrestees, aged between 20 and 24, took part in the killing mission on Tuesday on the instructions of Jihad Chowdhury, RAB’s Media Wing Director Habibur Rahman told a press briefing arranged at its headquarters.
The plan had been made at Salam Gymnasium in Feni a day before the murder, he added.
One of the arrestees was accused of giving shelter to the killers at his Bashundhara residence.
The alleged killers arrested from the residence are Abidul Islam Abid, Jahidul Islam Saikat, Chowdhury Md Nasir Uddin Anik, Kazi Shahnan Mahmud, Sajjadul Islam Patwari alias Shifat, Shahjalal Uddin Shipon and house owner Helal Uddin. Based on their statements, another youth named Jahid Hossain was picked up from Feni.
Abid, one of the prime accused, is son of the general secretary of Feni Mohila Awami League and cousin of MP Nizam Uddin Hazari.
Habibur Rahman told the press conference that around 8:00am on Tuesday, Jihad briefed the killers on the entire plan for the killing of Ekram. A group of 60 to 70 people took part in the killing mission. Dividing into several groups, they had followed Ekram from his house.
Jihad provided firearms to Abid, Shahnan, Shifat, Saikat and one Sunny to carry out the mission. Minutes before the incident, the armed attackers, led by one Ruti Sohel, created panic among the local people by blasting crude bombs and vandalising vehicles.
When Ekram’s car arrived in Bilashi Cinema Hall in Academy area around 11am, the attackers pushed an easy bike into the way of his vehicle that veered off the main road before it got stuck in the central reservation. Abid first pumped two bullets, into the chest of Ekram.
Someone inside the car tried to resist the attackers by firing bullets from a pistol, but failed. At one stage, four of the injured companions of the chairman managed to get out of the car. Bullet-hit Ekram was lying motionless on the seat next to the driver.
To ensure his death, Sohel poured patrol into his vehicle and set it on fire, the RAB official said quoting Abid.
Later, they handed over their firearms to Jihad Chowdhury who asked them to take shelter in Helal’s residence at Bashundhara. Based on their statements, Habibur said, they were trying to hunt down other perpetrators.
Talking to reporters, Shahjalal, another arrestee, said they were taken to the spot to take part in a BCL showdown. He claimed that he did not know about the attack. They were 50-60 in number.
Meanwhile, another suspect Abdullahil Mahmud Shiblu, president of Feni Municipality Ward 5 unit Awami League, surrendered to Feni Sadar Police around 3:15pm, said Paritosh Ghosh, superintendent of police in Feni.
A RAB team along with some arrestees was on the way to Fulgazi to launch drives there when this report was being filed around 7:30pm.
