Union council chairman was involved in Madhukhali lynching, says Faridpur DC

He says people with information about the chairman’s location will be rewarded

The authorities have ‘found involvement’ of Shah Md Asaduzzaman Tapan, chairman of Dumain Union Council, in the lynching of two brothers by a mob after a fire incident at a temple in Faridpur’s Madhukhali.

Union Council Member Ajit Biswas was also with Asaduzzaman during the incident, Faridpur Deputy Commissioner Quamrul Ahsan Talukder said at a press conference on Friday.

The chief of Faridpur district administration said people providing information about the UP chairman and member’s location will be rewarded, but would not specify an amount.

He said the duo were free to seek legal protection by surrendering to the authorities.

Tapan told bdnews24.com on the night of the incident on Apr 18 that he had received a phone call in the evening from Ajit, who told Tapan to come immediately as someone had set fire to the Kali temple at Panchapalli, a Hindu-dominated area.

“When I asked who they were, he said labourers. He also said they had caught the labourers.”

“I quickly came and saw thousands of people gathered here. I tried to calm them, but the situation was very tense. I then called the authorities, the UNO. They came and brought the situation under control,” Tapan added.

Locals said police and administrative officials faced obstruction from the residents of the area initially. Police from the district unit rescued several injured people later.

Two of them – brothers Ashadul, 21, and Ashraful, 13 – died in a hospital later that night.

They were among workers constructing a toilet for a school next to the temple. Locals blamed them for a fire at the site of worship and a mob beat them up fatally.

The authorities deployed Border Guard Bangladesh to the area amid intense protests after the incident.

Several ministers have also visited the house of the two brothers. The ministers vowed justice for the victims and promised compensation for their family.

Tapan was present when Religious Affairs Minister Faridul Haque Khan met the family two days after the incident.

Asked why the authorities did not catch him at that time, DC Quamrul said they learnt about Tapan’s involvement in the lynching from a video circulated on social media after the ministers’ visit. The chairman went into hiding after the video surfaced.

Tapan had been suspended two times for attacking an Upazila executive officer and corruption over TCB cards, according to Quamrul.

“He got his position back after challenging the suspension in the High Court on both instances. This made him think that he would get away with whatever crime he commits.”