‘Gunfight’ between AL groups kills one

A man was killed and four others sustained bullet injuries in an alleged gun battle between supporters of a ruling Bangladesh Awami League MP and of local Union Parishad chairman in Badda of the capital on Sunday.

Police and locals said the clash took place around 4:30pm between supporters of AL MP AKM Rahmatullah, also president of party’s Dhaka City North unit and Beraid Union Parishad chairman Jahangir Alam, over the contractual work for a cement company there.

The man killed in the clash is Kamruzzaman aka Dukhu, younger brother of the Beraid union parishad chairman.

The injured were identified as the local UP chairman Jahangir Alam’s brother Taj Mohammad, his uncle Nazir Hossain and two cousins -- Sharif Hossain and Kamal Hossain.

Although victims’ family members and the supporters of UP chairman claimed that they did not fire gunshots in retaliation of the gunfire by the AL MP men, police said both groups exchanged gunshots during the clash.

Locals said the AL MP has long been maintaining enmity with her former activist Jahangir over the elections to Dhaka North City Corporation as well as over establishing supremacy in the locality.

Badda police officer-in-charge (OC) Kazi Wazed Ali told Prothom Alo that the clashes ensued over establishing supremacy in the area.

The injured have been undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in the city, the OC added. 

Brother of the deceased, Mohammed Shahin Alam, said his brother Kamruzzaman was supplying raw materials to a cement factory in Beraid. But the nephews of the AL north president – Md Farukh and Aiyub – forcefully took over the business.

Shahin Alam added that on Sunday, Kamruzzaman with his nephews – Sunny and Abdul Hakim – went to the factory to submit some bills. A few of supporters of the MP’s group led by the MP’s nephew Farukh got into an argument with them there. At one stage, they hit Sunny’s head.

Shahin Alam also said after the beating, they came back to their area. They then reinforced their group and went to Patni Para where they clashes again. At one stage, the MP’s supporters opened fire at them.

Niyarul Islam, a witness, said the incident took place near the house of the MP’s nephew Farukh.

There were two police vans around 100 yards from the spot, the witness said, adding that the policemen took Kamruzzaman to hospital.

Local people said Beraid union has recently been included into the North City Corporation as ward no 42 and ever since the enmity between the AL MP and UP chairman began.

When contacted, AL MP Rahmatullah told Prothom Alo that the incident of killing took place “accidently during a clash between two groups and none did so with a plan of killing somebody”.

Claiming UP chairman Jahangir Alam to be his “former man”, AL MP said the clash took place over a trifling matter. “I am an MP and he [Jahangir] is a [UP] chairman. I bag as much as 92 per cent votes here. He was my man once upon a time. And he amassed wealth using my name.”