Police have arrested three individuals, including Jitu Islam, joint general secretary of the Bogra district unit of the Swechhasebak Dal, the volunteer wing of the BNP, in connection with the abduction and murder of a battery-run autorickshaw driver.
Shakil Ahmed, 40, was reportedly beaten to death after refusing to marry off his school-going daughter to Jitu.
Fulbari police outpost Sub-Inspector Zobaid Khan, the investigating officer, said a murder case was filed by Shakil’s wife, Maleka Khatun, at Bogra Sadar police station on Saturday night.
The case names 17 individuals and accuses a total of 27, he added.
The central Swechhasebak Dal has expelled Jitu from all party positions, including primary membership.
Bogra Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Hasan Basir said the three arrested individuals were presented before Bogra Senior Judicial Magistrate Mehedi Hasan’s court on Sunday noon, where police sought a seven-day remand for each.
The court granted five days of remand for each.
The three arrested are Jitu Islam, 43, expelled joint general secretary of the Bogra district Swechhasebak Dal and son of Sekendar Ali of Fulbari area in the city, Matiur Rahman Mati, 32, son of Abdul Aziz from the same area and Shafiqul Hasan Biplob, 35, son of Kutub Uddin from Karigarpara in Fulbari.
According to police, the victim’s family, and locals, Shakil Ahmed, the deceased auto-rickshaw driver, lived in a rented house in Shib Bari Shah Mosque Lane of Bogra town with his family.
Originally from the same city, Jitu was previously involved in Jubo League politics before switching to the Swechhasebak Dal following a political shift.
Jitu had been pressuring Shakil to marry off his daughter, a student of class eight, to him. Shakil refused, leading to tensions between the two, they said.
On Saturday morning, a physical altercation occurred between them, during which Shakil allegedly stabbed Jitu, injuring his hand.
Fearing retaliation, Shakil went into hiding at his sister’s home around 3pm.
Later, Jitu and his men, including Mati, Momidul, Biplob, Suman, and others, arrived there on 15-20 motorcycles.
They coaxed Shakil out, assuring him no harm would be done, but then forcibly took him to the Nayaghat area of the Korotoa River in Fulbari, where they severely beat him, they added.
Locals rescued Shakil and took him to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead around 6pm.
Shakil’s elder sister Asha said that the significantly older Jitu had long been making inappropriate marriage proposals for their underage niece.
Upon being refused, Jitu and his accomplices abducted and publicly beat Shakil to death, she said.
She claimed this incident shows that "BNP leaders and activists are already acting with impunity before even coming to power."
Asha urged Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus to ensure the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of Jitu and his associates.
On Saturday night, the central Swechhasebak Dal, in a statement signed by Office Secretary Abdullah Al Mamun, confirmed that Jitu has been expelled from all levels of the organization for gross violation of party discipline.
All party members were instructed to cut ties with him.
