Post Poll Violence: Kushtia AL Activist Dies

An activist of the ruling Awami League died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka Monday (January 15) afternoon, three days after suffering bullet injuries in a clash over January 7 general election at a location  under Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia.

The deceased, Ziaur Hossain, 45, son of Kendo Sheikh of village Ber Kalwa of Kaya Union in the upazila, was a supporter of AL nominated candidate Selim Altaf Geroge.

He died while undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation at about 4:30pm, Kumarkhali police station officer-in-charge M Akibul Islam said.

He was buried at his family graveyard in the upazila on Tuesday (January 16).

Police and local people said that the supporters of the boat symbol, Selim Altaf George, reportedly vandalised and looted the houses of the supporters of the truck symbol, Abdur Rouf, upon spreading the news of Ziaur’s death.

The police official said that a case was lodged with the police station against 14 individuals in connection with the attack.

Iyarul Islam, the deceased's younger brother, alleged that a group of supporters led by a former union parishad member Khaleque and his three sons Ripon, Liton, and Shipon, all loyal to independent candidate Abdur Rouf, locked in an altercation with his two brothers over the 12th Parliamentary Elections on January 12.

They, at one stage, attacked and shot his two brothers that left them seriously injured on the spot. Later, local people rescued them and took them to Kushtia General Hospital from where the attending doctors referred Ziaur to National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation for better treatment.

Khaleque, the former member, and his three sons, however, could not be reached over  telephone despite repeated attempts for their comments in this connection.