Two Shot Dead in Sylhet Clash

SYLHET NEWS

Two people were shot dead during a clash between pro-hartal activists and police at Biswanath upazila town in Sylhet Sunday afternoon.

One of victims was identified as Monwar Hossain, 30, son of Abbas Ali of Rajnagar village and a student of Biswanath Degree College.

Abdul Hai, Biswanath upazila general secretary of BNP, claimed that Monwar was an activist of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, a student body backed by the main opposition party.

Police found the bullet-hit body of Monwar near the local upazila parisad office around 3:15pm, Md Shakhawat Hossain, Sylhet superintendent of police,

Another young man, who could not be identified immediately, succumbed to his bullet wounds at MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, reports our Sylhet correspondent.

Three police personnel including Chand Miah, officer-in-charge of Biswanath Police Station, were also seriously injured during the clash in Biswanath, the constituency of M Ilias Ali who remain missing since April 17 night.

The injured police personnel were also rushed to the MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

SP Shakhawat said situation almost went out of control at about 2:30pm when police attempted to intercept a procession while entering Biswanath upazila headquarters.

The opposition leaders and activists brought out the procession in support of a daylong nationwide hartal called by the BNP for a second consecutive day for getting back its missing leader M Ilias Ali and his driver.

The lawmen fired several hundred tear shells and blank shots as the agitators pelted bricks. The law enforcers became confined inside the police station building after failing to control the situation.

The angry activists vandalised the upazila parisad building, set fire to the official jeep of upazila nirbahi officer and five motor bikes kept in front of the office premises.