A local leader of Jatiyatabadi Tanti Dal, an affiliate of BNP, was hacked to death at his business establishment in Khulna city’s Rayermahal area on Sunday evening.
The deceased was identified as Humayun Kabir, joint convener of Khulna city Tanti Dal and son of Syed Anwar Ali.
Police and local sources said a group of assailants attacked him with sharp weapons while he was sitting at his business establishment, ‘Hill Canteen’, behind Rayermahal Boro Mosque.
The assailants, armed with locally made weapons, ramdas and machetes, hacked him indiscriminately before fleeing the scene, leaving him critically injured.
He was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Abu Saeed Sheikh, convener of the Khulna city Tanti Dal, confirmed that Kabir was the organisation’s joint convener.
“We are looking into the motive behind the killing,” he said.
Mizanur Rahman Milton, convener of the Khulna city BNP media cell, also confirmed Kabir’s political position and said he was hacked to death by assailants.
Kabir’s relatives have blamed local Chhatra Dal leaders for the killing.
His nephew, Syed Didarul Alam Biplob, alleged that the attack stemmed from a financial dispute with Arafat Hossain, convener of Chhatra Dal’s Ward 14 unit.
“A group led by Arafat Hossain attacked and hacked my uncle to death over a dispute involving money,” he said.
Kabir had contested the previous Khulna City Corporation election as a councillor from Ward 14 and was preparing to contest the upcoming KCC election from the same ward.
Syed Shahjahan Ali, officer-in-charge of Khalishpur Police Station, said the incident occurred in an area bordering Khalishpur and Aranghata Police Stations but fell under the jurisdiction of Aranghata police.
Aranghata Police Station OC Alimur Rahman said police had visited the scene and launched an investigation to identify those involved.
“Efforts are underway to identify and arrest those responsible,” he said.
