The grisly nature of how Fulgazi chairman Ekramul Haque was shot and burned alive in broad daylight has caused public outcry throughout the country; however, Feni is not unfamiliar to political murders being carried out in public, as the district had seen 10 such killings over the past three decades.
The law and order situation in Feni is in a downward spiral this year, with at least 36 incidents of murder and abduction taking place in the first four months alone.
Although cases had been filed following each incident, the failure to properly investigate as well as witness tampering had allowed killers to slip through the cracks of the justice system. The law enforcers’ inability to put the killers behind bars has encouraged political murders to take place at regular intervals in the district, claimed locals.
Advocate Mahfuzur Rahman, former president of Feni District Lawyers Association, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Political murders were being committed repeatedly in a similar manner as no one is being punished; to stop such crimes, the criminals must be punished.”
The politics of Feni now belonged to some criminals who establish supremacy in the district by killing one another, he claimed.
According to crime files, in 2000, Jubo League leader Abul Bashar’s vehicle was stopped by a group of men at Feni’s Academy Road area, before he was gunned down in front of witnesses. The criminals were allegedly led by local Awami League leaders Ekramul Haque and Jihad Chowdhury.
In a strange twist of fate, Ekram – who had been a suspect in several previous killings – became the latest victim on May 20, in a murder that also took place on the Academy Road. Jihad, who had allegedly been a cohort of Ekram in the past, had now become the orchestrator; murdering the Fulgazi chairman in a similar way Bashar had been killed fourteen years ago.
However, the first recorded political murder in broad daylight at the district took place in 1973, when Chhatra Union leader Kazi Nasir Uddin was murdered at Feni’s Trunk Road in front of witnesses, allegedly by Joynal Hazari – who later went on to become a lawmaker. The trial of the murder case is yet to be resolved.
Abul Khayer, a witness of the case, told the Dhaka Tribune that he was still facing threats from Joynal’s supporters for testifying at the court, adding that most of the other witnesses in the cases did not dare to testify against Joynal.
In 1986, some men – allegedly supporters of Joynal – beat Chhatra Dal leader Saifuddin Manik to death in front of onlookers at Betagaon area. The trial of the case was also not finished.
In the same year, criminals shot and killed Delower Hossain – an engineer at a local brick kiln – in front of onlookers, and later allegedly chopped up his body of and fed it to dogs. Family members of the victim could not file any case out of fear, while witnesses claimed that local Awami League leaders were behind the gruesome murder.
In 1996, Chhatra League leader Mohammad Hossain was killed in full view of witnesses at Dholia area, also allegedly by Joynal’s associates. No arrest was made in connection with the murder.
The following year, a BNP-backed leader, known in the area as VP-Joynal, allegedly killed Chhatra League leader Nazrul Islam in broad daylight at the Hospital intersection of Feni town. The trial of the case remains unresolved.
In 1997, Chhatra Dal leader Tushar was killed, allegedly by Awami League activists, in front of onlookers at the Nazir Road area. Although a case was filed mentioning the names of Ekramul Haque, Saju and Arju, police were unable to make an arrest.
On the following day, while protesting the killing of Tushar, Jubo Dal leader Nasir Uddin was shot dead in front of witnesses at the Trunk Road area.
Jobayer Ahmed, brother of Nasir, told the Dhaka Tribune that police had all necessary proof and witnesses for the case, but the trial did not happen for some mysterious reason.
The murders of ward commissioner Ratan and Chhatra League leader Nayan also took place in broad daylight in 1999; none of those cases have been solved yet.
Mentioning several of the murder cases that had gone unsolved in the past, Ziaul Haque Jashim, the elder brother of the slain Fulgazi chairman, said his family was unsure about the fate of the case filed following his brother’s death.
Partiosh Gosh, superintendent of police in Feni, told the Dhaka Tribune that the police had submitted charge sheets in the cases in due time following proper investigation; but claimed that most cases could not proceed as witnesses were not willing to testify.
