Sanaulla Noor Babu
Awami League activists yesterday beat to death Sanaullah Noor Babu, BNP-backed chairman of Boraigraupazila, during a BNP procession in Bonpara Bazar, Natore.
BNP has called a full-day hartal in Natore on Sunday along with three-day mourning and protest programmes from tomorrow following the incident, said Aminul Haque, general secretary of BNP Natore district unit
Around 30 others including Bonpara Municipality Mayor Ishaq Ali and three journalists were injured in the attack launched around 11:00am
Babu, also the president of BNP Bonpara municipal unit, was admitted to a local hospital at Bonpara and later shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated. The doctors declared him dead at 3:30pm, said police, witnesses and hospital sources.Around 50 AL activists equipped with firearms, sticks, iron rods and machetes swooped on the BNP procession and started beating the opposition men leaving many severely injured.When one of the AL attackers shot a bullet in the air, all BNP activists except Babu left the spot. The attackers then caught Babu and beat him indiscriminately.Babu received severe head injures and there were cuts on the hands and legs and beating marks all over the body, said doctors who performed the autopsy.
BNP activists led by Babu brought out a procession from the upazila parishad premises as part of the opposition's month-long demonstrations across the country. Babu was supposed to address a public gathering after the procession.Mohammad Nasim, injured reporter of the Bangladesh Protidin, told The Daily Star that Babu was profusely bleeding and lying unconscious on the road for nearly an hour while police watched the situation from a distance. Later, Babu's wife and BNP activists rescued him and whisked him to a hospital, added Nasim.
Anwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Boraigram Police Station, said Babu was killed as Awami League and BNP activists were locked in a clash at Bonpara Bazar. He said the clash started when BNP activists were holding a procession and AL men intercepted.
Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu, president of BNP Natore district unit, termed the incident a pre-planned murder.
"The killers cut the tendons of Babu's hands and legs to make sure he died. The murder took place, as the government is encouraging killers by freeing them from death row," he alleged.
Mizanur Rahman, general secretary of AL Boraigram upazila unit, said the incident is not political as BNP is propagating. No AL leaders were present on the spot during the incident.
He said local businessmen belonging to AL requested BNP leaders not to hold the rally on Friday, the Jumma day.
"The incident took place when the BNP activists disobeying the businessmen brought out the procession and confronted with Chhatra League activists," said Mizanur Rahman.
The injured include Rafiqul Islam, upazila Jubo Dal president, Jamal Uddin, Mozammel, Nazim, Jamal and Rafiq. The two other injured journalists are ATN Bangla's cameraman Masud Rana and Tofazzal Hossain of the Dainik Destiny.
The attackers snatched two cameras from the journalists when they were taking shots of the assault on Babu, the only son of Boraigram civil surgeon Saber Hossain.
Around 7:00pm, agitated BNP activists staged a demonstration and blocked Bonpara Bazar road for half an hour. They also attacked and vandalised business centre of including that of AL-backed vice-chairman of the upazila Ataur Rahman and the house of local AL leader Zakir Hossain. The activists also vandalised Patwari Clinic, where Babu was rushed to after the incident.
In a statement, BNP Chairperson and the Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia condemned the killing of Babu by the ruling party men.
Demanding arrests of the killers and punitive action against them, she said, "It seems that the government has taken a project to eliminate the opposition. The Boraigram upazila chairman has just fallen a victim to that plan."
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