Police-BNP clash: Munshiganj Jubo Dal activist Shawan dies in DMCH

Jubo Dal activist Shawan Bhuiyan, 22, who was shot during BNP men’s clash with police in Munshiganj on Wednesday, has died.

Shawan passed away while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital  at around 9:00pm on Thursday.

A Chhatra Dal leader of Munshiganj confirmed Shawan’s death.

Shawan, son of Tuwab Ali of Murma area in Mirkadim pourashava of the Munshiganj Sadar upazila, was an activist of Muktarpur ward Jubo Dal.

Shawan and BNP supporter Jahangir Madbar, 38, were critically injured after BNP men clashed with police centering the party’s protest rally in the district town over price hike of fuel and other essential commodities and killing of three leaders-activists in two districts.

Shawan’s younger brother Sohan Bhiyan told Prothom Alo that his brother would run the family by rickshaw pulling with his father. He joined BNP’s rally on Wednesday. He became unconscious as a bullet shot by police hit his head.

Shawan was rushed to Munshiganj General Hospital but Chhatra League and police men barred him to take treatment there, alleges Sohan Bhiyan adding that the ruling party men also obstructed while his brother was being brought to Dhaka. Later he was brought to DMCH at around 7 in the afternoon.

Shawan was on life support.

 Witnesses said BNP men from different upazilas of the district started gathering at the Muktarpur intersection to join a pre-scheduled programme. The BNP men moved to old ferry ghat area as police obstructed them at the Muktarpur intersection.

At one point, assistant police superintendent Minhazul Islam pulled a banner of a procession, ensuing a fierce clash. At least 70 people including 10-15 policemen and 3 journalists were injured in the clash.  

Munshiganj’s police superintendent Mahfuzur Rahman Al Mamun and additional police super Suman Deb did not respond to calls from this correspondent about comment on Shawan’s death.

Munshiganj Sadar police station’s officer-in-charge Md Tariquzzaman said he does not know about Shawan’s death yet.