The body of an independent ward councillor candidate was recovered from the River Kumar in Jhenaidah on early Thursday, hours after an Awami League leader and also brother of his opponent candidate was stabbed to death, allegedly by rivals, in Shailakupa upazila in Jhenaidah.
The deceased were identified as Alamgir Hossain Babu, an independent councillor candidate of ward no-8 municipal election, and Liyakot Hossain Boltu, 50, acting general secretary of Umedpur union unit of Awami League and also brother of Shailakupa upazila ward no-8 municipal election councillor candidate Shawkat Ali.
Shailakupa police officer-in-charge Jahangir Hossain, quoting local people, said that supporters of Alamgir Hossain Babu attacked Boltu and his brother Shawkat Ali at about 8:30pm when they were in the election campaign office in Kabirpur area of Shailakupa upazila.
The attackers stabbed Shawkat and Boltu with lethal weapons, leaving them critically injured.
Local people rescued the injured and admitted them to Shailakupa Upazila Health Complex.
Duty doctors of the health complex referred Boltu to Kushtia Medical College Hospital as he was in a critical condition.
Later, doctors declared him dead at about 9:30pm, said Taposh Kumar Sarker, resident medical officer of the hospital.
Five hours after the incident, the body of Shailakupa upazila municipality election independent candidate Alamgir Hossain Babu was recovered from the River Kumar at about 1:00am.
Shailakupa police recovered the body from the spot.
The body was found standing in the river, Shailakupa police OC Jahangir Hossain said.
The reason behind the killing would be known after getting the post-mortem report, the OC said, adding that additional police personnel had been deployed in the city and municipal areas.
Babu’s family alleged that the incidents might have been taken place over the election.
They also alleged that Shawkat Ali and his supporters killed Babu.
Extreme anxiety and panic have spread out among the residents and voters of Shailkupa municipality over the two consecutive deaths.
mj/
