Awami League leader arrested on charges of killing 7 Jamaat-Shibir members

Police have arrested Nazrul Islam Manik (53), General Secretary of Basurhat Municipality Ward No. 6 Awami League, in the murder case of seven Jamaat-Shibir leaders and activists in Companiganj, Noakhali. The accused will be handed over to the Noakhali Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Wednesday (August 20). Earlier, he was arrested from his house in Khal Bepari, Ward No. 6, Basurhat Municipality at around 9:30 pm on Tuesday (August 19). The arrested Manik is the son of Abul Kalam of the same house and was known as a close associate of former mayor of Basurhat Municipality Abdul Quader Mirza. Companiganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Gazi Muhammad Foujul Azim said that Awami League leader Manik is an accused in the murder case of seven Jamaat-Shibir leaders and activists in Companiganj. He was in hiding after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5. He was arrested based on secret information. It is worth noting that on December 14, 2013, seven leaders and activists of Jamaat-Shibir were shot dead at the upazila gate of ward number 8 of Basurhat Municipality in Companiganj, Noakhali. In this murder incident, the elder brother of Jamaat activist Saiful Islam, Md. Amirul Islam, filed a case in the court as the plaintiff. The court took cognizance of the application and ordered the Companiganj Police Station to take necessary action. Later, on September 26, a murder case was registered against 112 people including former mayor of Basurhat Municipality Abdul Quader Mirza, General Secretary of Companiganj Upazila Awami League Mizanur Rahman Badal, former Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Nuruzzaman in connection with the murder of Jamaat leaders and activists in Companiganj, Noakhali. In addition, former Inspector (Investigation) of Companiganj Police Station Md. Shafiqul Islam, former sub-inspector Sudhir Ranjan Barua, Abul Kalam Azad, Shishir Kumar Biswas and Ukyasingh Marma were named as accused in the case.