Awami League leader shot dead in Rangamati

Suresh Kanti Tanchangya, the president of the Awami League’s Upazila wing in Bilaichhari, has been shot dead in Rangamati district.

The incident comes less than 24 hours after unidentified gunmen killed at least seven people, including polling officials and security personnel, after the end of phase-2 Upazila council elections in the district's Baghaichhari.

The killing took place at Alikheyang around 9.30 am on Tuesday, Rangamati Police Superintendent Alamgir Kabir told bdnews24.com. 

“Suresh Kanti Tanchangya was returning to Bilaichhari by a boat from Farua Union when a group of people shot him,” he said.

Suresh Kanti’s body has been taken to Bilaichhari and will be sent to Rangamati for a post-mortem, said Asif Iqbal, the Bilaichhari Upazila Nirbahee Officer, or UNO.

Rangamati district Awami League General Secretary Haji Md Musa Matobbor, also a member of the Rangamati Hill District Council, has blamed the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti or PCJSS led by Jyotirindro Bodhipriyo Larma, better known as Santu Larma, for the killing.

Rigorous programmes and rallies will be held in Rangamati city in protest of Suresh Kanti’s killing, he said.

Rejecting the allegations, PCJSS district secretary Nilotpal Khishi said, “We don’t engage in such politics. Blaming us for these incidents is nothing more than a poor attempt at the politics of vengeance.”

PCJSS candidate Birottom Tanchangya became the chairman of the Bilaichhari Upazila after defeating the Awami League’s Joy Sen Tanchangya in Monday’s Upazila election.

Election officials from three voting centres in Baghaichhari’s Sajek Union were attacked by armed assailants on their way back to the Upazila headquarters after the polls ended.

Seven people, including two polling officers, were killed and at least 11 others injured in the attack in Noi Mile area on the Baghaichhari-Dighinala road on Monday evening.

As of Tuesday morning, the police have yet to make any arrests in connection with the incident.