Panic in Rajbari village after school teacher is gunned down by criminals

The colleagues of the slain school teacher threatened to suspend classes at all educational institutions if the attackers are not arrested

A group of criminals gunned down a school teacher in Rajbari’s Pangsa Upazila on Sunday, but law enforcers have not arrested anyone involved in the murder though 36 hours have passed since the incident.

No case has even been filed over the incident, but panic-stricken local residents and the colleagues of the slain school teacher are seeking justice.

“Criminals shot school teacher Mizanur Rahman to death at Hosendanga village in Kalimahar Union of the upazila around 9:30 pm on Sunday. The law enforcers believe a local dispute led to his murder,” said ASI Md Miru Mollah, duty officer of Pangsa Police Station.

Mizanur was a resident of Bosha Kushtia village in Kalimahar Union. He had been working as an assistant teacher at Pangsa Pilot Girls High School. He used to run a shop at Hosendanga market.

He was killed outside the house of Sri Bolai Biswas, about a half kilometre away from Hosendanga market. The blood-soaked murder scene has been sealed off with bricks. Mizanur’s house is one kilometre away from the location.

“It was raining when it happened. We suddenly heard the sound of a gunshot. We rushed to the scene and found his body lying on the ground,” Bolai said, adding that the incident has led to panic among local residents.

“We are scared. The entire village is tense. Nobody is leaving home unless there is an emergency.”

“Mizan was a gentleman. I don’t know if he had any enemies,” Bolai added.

Local van driver Abdul Latif said the slain school teacher had organised a 'halkhata ceremony' (to commemorate the opening of a new account book for the Bangla New Year) at his shop on Sunday.

“He was killed by unknown criminals while returning home.”

“My husband had no enmity with anyone. He was returning home after the halkhata ceremony. The criminals killed him on the way. I want the perpetrators to be tried in court and hanged,” Mizanur’s wife Shahanara Begum said.

Meanwhile, the law enforcers visited the murder scene on Sunday night and sent the victim’s body to the Rajbari morgue. The school teacher was buried at Bosha Kushtia graveyard on Monday.

Mizanur's colleagues have staged a protest rally demanding the quick arrest of the criminals. They warned the administration that they would resume the protest and suspending classes at all educational institutions if the criminals are not arrested within the next three days.

“A police unit is investigating the incident, though no case has been filed yet. Law enforcers are investigating some clues,” Pangsa Model Police Station chief Md Masudur Rahman said.

He said police hoped to discover the motive for the murder and arrest the criminals soon.