Quader says killings in hilly districts are not isolated incidents

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has alluded to the ‘involvement of vested interests’ in the killings of five on way to the funeral of a Upazila chairman who was gunned down in Rangamati.  

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 4 May 2018, 08:40 PM
Updated : 4 May 2018, 08:40 PM

He says what happened in the hilly districts of Rangamati and Khagrhachharhi are not ‘isolated’ incidents.

The road transport and bridges minister was speaking to reporters at a programme of Kendrio Khelaghar Ashor, an organisation of children, in Dhaka on Friday evening.

“There has been bloodshed in the hills today as well. A quarter with vested interests is active to destabilise the country when it is in peace,” he said.

“Many envy Sheikh Hasina because she is taking Bangladesh forward. They cannot do anything directly, so they are taking the path of bloodshed, conspiracy,” he added.

Naniarchar Upazila Chairman Shaktiman Chakma, a vice-president of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (MN Larma), was shot dead when he was entering his office on Thursday.

Assailants launched a gun attack in Khagrhachharhi on a microbus packed with a group of mourners who were on their way to Shaktiman’s funeral on Friday, killing five people and injuring at least eight others.

The victims are members of PCJSS (MN Larma) and UPDF (Ganatantrik), a breakaway faction of the United People’s Democratic Front.

PCJSS (MN Larma) and UPDF (Ganatantrik) alleged UPDF carried out the attack, but UPDF led by Proshit Bikash Khisa has denied the allegation.

Quader said he got teary after getting the news of the death of Shaktiman, with whom the minister claimed to have had many conversations recently.

“He even talked about the fear of losing his life over phone on Wednesday.”

The Awami League general secretary said Shaktiman had asked for his help to transfer his daughter from Rangamati Medical College, where she studies, to Dhaka or Chattogram because Shaktiman was fearing attack on her, too.

“He said his daughter’s life was in danger, and now he has lost his own life. And today four to five more people have died after him,” Quader added. 

The minister said these incidents were part of a ‘conspiracy to create anarchy ahead of the general elections’.

“They try to grab power illegally when their attempt to involve the people in agitation fails,” he said, without naming any group.

“The forces that are against the spirit of Khelaghar, that harbour communalism are active now. And that’s why the brutalities of 1971 recurred through the attack on the VC’s house during quota reform protests,” he added.

Khelghar Chairperson Panna Kaiser presided over the programme on the occasion of its 66th founding anniversary.

The organisation conferred Bazlur Rahman Bhaiya Memorial Award on Prof Shamsuzzaman Khan, Kamala Chowdhury and Prof Niranjan Adhikary at the programme.