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Download PDF Police in six northern districts were put on the highest level of alert yesterday, and they launched combing operations in the areas identified as ‘outlaw prone’ by a closed door meeting of the law enforcers in Chowbaria chaired by the inspector general of police.
The alert was issued after receiving information that the outlaws of self-styled Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) are active again in the region and they might embark on more severe attacks, meeting sources said.
The identified six trouble prone districts are — Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Bogra, Pabna and Sirajganj. An intensified drive was launched against the outlaws in these districts.
The PBCP outlaws killed four policemen and a BNP leader, and looted a pistol, a shot gun, a Chinese rifle and a .303 rifle from the policemen at Chowbaria market under Manda upazila in Naogaon on Friday.
Meanwhile, a PBCP (Lal Potaka) source told The Daily Star that PBCP claims responsibility for the murders.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Anwarul Iqbal who rushed to Chowbaria from the capital following Friday’s incident, visited the scene and talked to witnesses and local people.
Local BNP Lawmaker Shamsul Islam Pramanik, senior police officials including Rajshahi Range DIG Nayeem Ahmed, and several superintendents of police of northern districts attended the Chowbaria meeting.
The IGP later separately held a conference on crime with senior policemen at Naogaon Police Line.
He ordered setting up of a police camp at Chowbaria village from today. He also directed policemen to curb the activities of both the factions of PBCP — Janajuddha (Peaple’s War) and Lal Potaka (Red Flag).
Policemen and local people said the attack could have been in retaliation for continued killing of outlaws in police and Rapid Action Battalion ‘crossfire’.
Some other sources apprehended that the attack could have been linked to local BNP-Jamaat feuds.
Local Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Parishad President Ranjit Kumar Sarkar told the IGP that the murder of BNP leader Nazer Ali might have left a clue to the motive for Friday’s murders.
He said among the five victims of Friday’s attack, only Nazer, organising secretary of Manda upazila Jubo Dal was shot from a point blank range and he was the principal witness in the former upazila BNP vice president Mansur Mridha murder case.
Following judicial statements of some arrested outlaws, charges were pressed against 24 persons belonging to BNP, Jamaat and the outlawed PBCP after Mansur had been murdered on March 11, 2004, police sources said.
Four of the 24 accused were killed in ‘crossfire’ and among the rest of the 20, local BNP General Secretary Dr Ekramul Bari Tipu, his brothers-in -law Advocate Shawkat Illias Kabir and Harun, UP chairman Helal and his brother, and some activists and supporters of the ruling parties BNP and Jamaat were recently released on bail by the High Court.
POLICE ACTION
Raiding villages, police arrested five suspected outlaws following Friday’s attack. Two cases accusing unnamed 30 outlaws were filed in connection with the attack, one for murder and arms looting, another for blasting bombs.
Panic gripped the villagers of Chowbaria and its surrounding villages of Mazidpur, Hossainpur, Malsira, Zonaki and Madaripur and male members of most of the families were not found at their homes while The Daily Star correspondent visited the villages, 40 kilometres off Rajshahi city.
PBCP CLAIM
Claiming responsibility for Friday’s attack, a PBCP source said, it was in retaliation for the continued ‘killings and oppressions on PBCP activists by armed forces and to protest against the cattle market leasing system’.
“It (the murders) is our work. We carried it out in a pre-planned manner and without any loss. Especially we avenged the crossfire death of Master Da (PBCP adviser-in-chief Quamrul Islam Master),” he said adding without details, “We will continue our operations.”
Replying to a question, the source said, Rab and police are similar as they both bear arms against PBCP.
THE VICTIMS
Janaza of the slain policemen were held at Naogaon Police Line. Their bodies were also sent to their homes.
The slain policemen are Assistant Sub Inspector Abu Taiyab Feroz of Ataikula in Pabna, Constables Babul Hossain of Shahjadpur in Pabna, Faridul Islam of Kajipur in Sirajganj, and Askan Ali of Madhaimuri under Bagmara in Rajshahi.
THE MURDER & WITNESSES
Chowbaria, a popular market for cattle trading was leased to several BNP leaders headed by Manda Upazila Jubo Dal President Mahbub Alam Chowdhury.
At the end of the market day on Friday, there were still a several thousand people at the market on three bighas of land.
“Suddenly, somebody opened fire inside the administrative office of the market and blasted bombs outside. I tried to escape through the window, but fainted a few seconds later”, said Samiul, an injured rishaw-van puller who was admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
Another injured at RMCH Abdur Rahim Uddin, who is also the president of Bhasu union unit of BNP and one of the lease holders of the market, corroborated Samiul’s statement.
A tea-shop owner at the market said the attackers in groups laid the policemen down on the ground and slaughtered them as soon as the first bomb had been blasted. “I heard a total of six blasts as I was running to save my life.”
Five security guards of the market, Kazem Ali, Abdur Rahim, Yasin Ali, Dhirendra Nath and Amullyo Kumar said they saw from far away the attackers leaving the scene walking slowly and chanting slogans in favour of PBCP minutes away from sunset.
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