Local Awami League leader Jahid Chowdhury alias Jihad, one of the masterminds of Fulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haque Ekram killing, was arrested at Barahipur in the district town on Sunday. Tipped off, a team of police conducted a drive in the area at Old Airport Road around 6:15 pm and arrested Jihad, district Police Super Poritosh Ghosh told UNB. Jihad, joint general secretary of Fulgazi upazila unit Awami League and a close aide to Feni-2 ruling party MP Nizam Hazari, had gone into hiding after Ekram’s killing. Police arrested the ruling party leader a day after Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) at a press briefing claimed that the Fulgazi upazila chairman has been killed as per a blueprint crafted by Jihad. As per the information they gathered from the arrestees, Habibur Rahman said Jihad along with a few people had planned to kill the Upazila chairman on last Monday night at a room in Salma Gymnasium. Meanwhile, a court here on Sunday placed nine suspects, including Feni municipality ward councillor Abdullah Hil Mahmud Shiblu, on an eight-day remand in connection with the killing the upazila chairman. Chief Judicial Magistrate Khairul Alam passed the order when police produced them before his court amid tight security, seeking 10 days’ remand. Rab members arrested eight of them from separate places of the capital on Saturday. They are Abidul Islam Abir, Kazi Sanan Mahmud, Jahidul Islam Shaikat, Mohammad Jahid, Shahjalal Uddin, Chowdhury Mohammad Nasir Uddin Anik, Sajjadul Islam Patwari Sifat and Mohammad Helaluddin. Besides, Abdullah Hil Mahmud Shiblu, councillor from Feni municipality ward-5, surrendered to police on Saturday. Meanwhile, the same court also placed Sakhawat Hossain, Iqbal Hossain, Anwar Hossain and Alauddin, arrested on Thursday and Friday, on a five-day remand when they were produced before the court in the case. In another development, local Awami League and its associate bodies on Sunday withdrew its Monday’s hartal in Fulgazi upazila following the arrest of the mastermind, Jihad. On May 20, Fulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haque Ekram was shot and burnt to death by miscreants in the Academy area of the district town. Police said Ekram, also president of upazila Awami League, came under the attack by the miscreants, numbering 20-30, on his way to the upazila headquarters in his car from his town residence. – UNB, Dhaka
