NARSINGHDI MAYOR MURDERKhokon being moved to Narsinghdi

  Narsinghdi police, with assistance from Detective Branch (DB), have arrested main opposition BNP's Narsinghdi unit chief Khairul Kabir Khokon from his residence near Khilgaon's Matir Masjid.

However, it was not immediately clear why he was detained early Wednesday. The detention was made hours after Narsinghdi municipality mayor Lokman Hossain, from the ruling Awami League, was shot dead in the town.

Khokon, also BNP central committee's education secretary, was picked up around 2.45am on Wednesday by the detectives, his wife Shirin Sultana told bdnews24.com.

Sultana, also the general secretary of the party's women's wing Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal, added, "They did not give any cause as to why they had detained him".

Dhaka Metropolitan Police DB additional deputy commissioner Mehedi Hasan said, "Narsinghdi police arrested him. We just helped them out."

Khokon is being moved to Narsinghdi, he added.

A senior Detective Branch official confirmed that they had detained him and that he was being kept at the DB headquarters in the capital.

Meanwhile, an emergency meeting has been called at BNP's Naya Paltan headquarters to discuss the issue.

The 43-year old Hossain was declared dead by doctors of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), nearly three hours after he was shot by a masked gunman in front of the Awami League office at the district headquarters' Sadar road at around 8pm on Tuesday.

The residents of the area blockaded the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in protest after the news got out and vandalised a number of vehicles. They also blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong rail road, leaving thousands stranded at railway stations in Dhaka, Narsinghdi and other places.

Chhatra League's distrcit unit has called a 72-hour shutdown from Wednesday.

Source: bdnews24.com

Read More on Ittefaq Dhaka

NARSINGHDI MAYOR MURDERTrain set on fire

  The supporters of slain Narsinghdi mayor Lokman Hossain have set fire to a Dhaka-Kishoreganj passenger train, as a general strike is in force to protest against the murder.

Narsigndi railway station master Maron Chandra Das told bdnews24.com that the angry protesters set six coaches of the Egaroshindur Express on fire on Wednesday.

He said the incident occurred at around 10.15am on Wednesday when the train reached Narsinghdi.

"Many passengers jumped off the train at that time and were injured. We are working to douse the flames," the master added.

"A patrol team of the Rapid Action Battalion-11 went to the spot after learning about the torching and was pelted with brickbats by angry protesters.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of ruling Awami League, has enforced a 72-hour general strike in Narsinghdi to protest against the murder.

Shops and business organisations were seen shut on Wednesday morning. Activists of ruling Awami League and associate organisation have taken out processions demanding arrest and punishment of the assailants.

The organisers, however, said the first day's protest would not be that tight as family and party colleagues were waiting for the Hossain's body to arrive for burial.

"It will be an eased protest until 6pm Wednesday to facilitate the burial," said S M Qayum, a former central committee member of the student wing.

Qayum added that the Namaaj-e-Janaza would be held after Asr prayers when his body is brought back from Dhaka, where it underwent an autopsy.

Additional police forces have been deployed in the area to control the situation. Deputy inspector general (DIG) of Dhaka range police M H Nuruzzaman, Rapid Action Battalion-11 additional DIG Mostofa Kamal have reached Narsinghdi overnight to keep close watch on the situation.

Superintendent of Narsinghdi police Akkas Uddin Bhuiyan said, "A large number of law enforcers from Narsinghdi and surrounding districts has been deployed to handle the situation."

Doctors of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) declared the 43-year old Hossain dead nearly three hours after he was shot by a masked gunman in front of the Awami League office at the district headquarters' Sadar road at around 8pm on Tuesday.

Lokman, also the ruling party's town unit general secretary, was a two time Gold Medal winner as Best Mayor.

Source: bdnews24.com

Read More on Ittefaq Dhaka