Top leaders of Feni Awami League and its associate bodies are allegedly trying to silence the people who are protesting the killing of the Fulgazi upazila chairman, either by tempting them with better positions within the party ranks or by intimidating them with muscle-flexing.
The leaders, many of whom are suspected to be connected with the murder of Ekramul Haque, have reportedly invested around Tk20 lakh to coax the people who were staging demonstrations demanding justice for the killing.
Golam Rabbani, joint convener of Jubo League’s Fulgazi unit and leader of Ekram Moncho – a platform demanding justice for the murder – told the Dhaka Tribune that some close associates of a top ruling party leader of the district had offered him many incentives including property and a better position in the party to stop the ongoing demonstrations. Rabbani said those associates were now threatening to silence him after he had rejected their offers.
“We will not fear any threat or stop our ongoing protests until the killers are arrested and punished,” he added.
The slain chairman’s family sources said attempts were being made to buy their silence, adding that Ekram’s wife Tasmina Akhter was offered the candidacy in the upazila chairman post under the condition that she would keep mum about the murder. When asked about this, Tasmina told the Dhaka Tribune that she had nothing to say about the issue as the people of Feni knew well who killed Ekram.
On May 20, armed criminals shot and burnt alive the Fulgazi Chairman on the Academy Road of Feni town in front of witnesses. The killing prompted an outcry throughout the country, while protest programmes and several rounds of hartals had been staged following the murder at Fulgazi.
Sources within the ruling party’s Fulgazi unit claimed that the people trying to manipulate the protesters included supporters of district Chhatra League President Jahirul Islam Jewel and district Jubo League Joint Convener Sushen Chandra Sheel, both of whom are close associates of ruling party lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari.
Without mentioning any names, Fulgazi Chhatra League Convener Ashiqur Rahman Asif told the Dhaka Tribune that they were continuously receiving threats from people who are closely related to the district committees of the Chhatra League and Jubo League.
However, when contacted, Jewel and Sushen both denied allegations about their involvement, and said the claims were nothing but baseless information by a vested quarter to foil their image.
On the other hand, a leader of district unit of Awami League, on condition of anonymity, said the latest attempts of manipulating demonstrators came after local leaders were recently reproached by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
A few days back district Awami League President Abdur Rahman, Vice-President Khairul Bashar Tapan,
General Secretary and MP of Feni 2 Nizam Uddin Hazari and district Mohila Awami League President Jahanara Begum went to the Ganabahaban to meet the premier.
Sources said, during the meeting with Hasina, Nizam and Tapan claimed that BNP-Jamaat activists were involved with the murder; but in response the prime minister asked them why Awami League activists were being arrested.
Another source within the party’s Feni district unit claimed that Ekram’s wife and sons – who were scheduled to accompany the local leaders to Ganabhaban – were not taken to the meeting as they might have commented to the prime minister regarding the mastermind of the killing.
When asked about the meeting at Ganabhaban, Nizam Uddin Hazari, said the leaders had gone to meet the premier to seek advice on the problem that was created through Ekram’s death.
However, he claimed to have no hand in attempting to manipulate the protesters, adding that he would take action if anyone provided proof of such threats.
