Noakhali’s Kompaniganj Upazila Awami League president Khizir Hayat Khan’s house has been identified as the two gunmen involved in the attack-vandalism and shooting. One of them said.
Manik (30) and another Md. Masud alias Pichchi Masud (28). Both are known to be followers of Basurhat Municipality Mayor Abdul Quader Mirza. Quader Mirza is the younger brother of Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.
Police were unable to arrest any of the two gunmen until Sunday evening. Manik’s home is in Ward 5 of Basurhat Municipality and Masud is a resident of Ward 5 of Musapur Union in Kompaniganj. However, after the attack, the police arrested four followers of Quader Mirza.
Earlier on May 13, Masood, along with another accomplice Shahid Ullah alias Kechcha Russell in the Karalia area of Basurhat, opened fire on the followers of Quader Mirza’s opponent Mizanur Rahman. Four months after the incident, on September 6, Russell was arrested by the District Detective Branch (DB). Police claimed that the displayed weapon was also recovered. However, Masood could not be arrested.
CCTV footage of the attack on Khizir Hayat Khan’s house in Ward 5 of Charkankara Union in the upazila on Saturday night showed Manik pointing a gun and firing several shots while Masood was training with a pistol. Khizir Hayat Khan spoke about the activities of Quader Mirza in the last 10 months at the district Awami League representative meeting at Noakhali district school ground on Saturday afternoon. This led to an attack at night.
Companiganj police OC said. Saifuddin Anwar told Prothom Alo yesterday afternoon that he had identified the armed manik after watching the video footage. At the same time, another armed Masood was also there with a weapon in his hand. Police are conducting an operation to arrest the two.
Basurhat Municipality Mayor Abdul Quader Mirza’s mobile phone was called more than once at 6 pm yesterday to get a statement from his followers about the attack on the Awami League leader’s house with weapons, but he did not answer. In order to know about the same evening, the general secretary of the Upazila Awami League Quader Mirza announced. When Yunus was called, he cut off the call because he did not know about it.
Awami League leader Khizir Hayat Khan has filed a case with the Kompaniganj Police Station on Saturday night. The names of 14 people including Manik and Masud have been mentioned in the case. According to the statement, the accused were mentioned as followers of Quader Mirza. Earlier, Khizir Hayat Khan was attacked once and his house twice.
Awami League leader Khizir Hayat Khan said he deliberately did not name Quader Mirza in the list of accused. Because, if a complaint is made to the police station mentioning the name of Kader Mirza, it is not taken as a case.
As there is no name of Quader Mirza in the description of the case statement, if you want to know whether he will be the accused, OC Md. Saifuddin Anwar said it could not be said before the end of the investigation. He did not comment on whether or not to file a case against Quader Mirza.
50 cases of conflict, two murders
During the announcement of the municipal election manifesto on December 31 last year, Quader Mirza was discussed in the so-called ‘Satyabachan’, speaking against the various irregularities of the party MPs in the greater Noakhali. After that, in the last 11 months, there were 25-30 incidents of reciprocal attacks and clashes between the two sides. Local journalists Burhan Uddin and Sramik League leader Alauddin lost their lives. In both cases, the police filed 50 cases against them.
District Awami League convener AHM Khairul Anam Chowdhury told Prothom Alo that a committee has been formed to look into the overall situation in Companiganj before the attack. The next step will be taken if the committee reports.
