Jubo Dal activist Shaon Pradhan, who was shot dead during a clash between the police and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) men in Narayanganj on Thursday, has been laid for eternal rest in the dead of night amid tight security.
Earlier, the police handed over the body to his family members upon completion of autopsy at Narayanganj General Hospital.
Milon Pradhan, elder brother of Shaon, and Motaher Hossain, his maternal uncle, received the body from the hospital morgue at around 12:00am on Friday. A large number of policemen and detectives took position there to avoid any untoward situation.
The body was taken to his home and buried within the next 45 minutes in a hasty manner in presence of police.
The physicians, who carried out the autopsy, said Shaon died of excessive bleeding.
Asked about legal action, Milon Prodhan lamented, saying, “Keep listening as you have ears, keep watching as you have eyes. Nothing more can be said here in Bangladesh.”
Keep listening as you have ears, keep watching as you have eyes. Nothing more can be said here in Bangladesh
Shawkat Ali, paternal uncle of Shaon and general secretary of Fatullah upazila unit of ruling Awami League, said Shaon was buried at Nabinagar graveyard after namaj-e janaza at Shahar Ali High School at Nabinagar at around 1:15am. Around 400 people attended the prayer.
He also said that they will take a decision over taking legal action consulting with other close relatives.
The additional superintendent of Narayanganj police, Amir Khasru, confirmed the development to Prothom Alo, saying that the body was handed over to family in the night and it was buried immediately.
AL claims Shaon as Jubo League man
Since the death of Shaon, leaders and activists of de facto opposition BNP have been claiming Shaon to be their fellow activist. A picture showing Shaon on the frontline of a Jubo Dal procession is also making the rounds on social media.
In a dramatic twist, the AL men brought out a procession in Nabinagar area of Narayanganj on Thursday evening, claiming Shaon as an activist of Jubo League, an associate body of the ruling party.
They also staged demonstrations in front of Shaon’s home at Nabinagar at around 7:30pm, demanding justice to the murder.
Jahangir Hossain, office secretary of Fatullah upazila Awami League who led the demonstration, said Shaon was involved with the politics of Jubo League.
Mamun Mahmud, member secretary of Narayanganj district BNP, said Shaon, being a Jubo Dal activist, attended various political programmes called by BNP. But the family, being influenced by a distant uncle of Shaon, is trying to hide the issue.
The BNP men engaged in a clash with the policemen in the city at around 10:30am on Thursday. At one stage of the two-and-a-half hour clash, police fired bullets and tear gas shells, leaving Shaon dead and 26 others injured.