Jubo Andolan leader killed in N’ganj
Jahid Hasan Bulbul, joint general secretary of the Bangladesh Islami Jubo Andolan’s Bandar thana unit and owner of an auto-rickshaw garage, was hacked to death in Narayanganj, allegedly by members of the notorious Sifat gang.
Bulbul, son of late Raja Master, was a resident of the Thakur Bari area in Ward 22 of Narayanganj City Corporation under Bandar Police Station.
Bandar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jamal Uddin said police recovered the body from the hospital and sent it to the morgue of Narayanganj General Hospital for autopsy. He said nine people, including prime accused Sifat, had been arrested and were in police custody.
According to the case statement and police sources, local criminal Sheikh Sifat and his associates had been angry with Bulbul for providing food to students participating in the anti-discrimination student movement in 2024.
As a result, on the night of July 22, 2024, a group of criminals led by Sifat attacked Bulbul’s garage in the Shahi Mosque area of Bandar and looted goods worth around Tk 18.17 lakh. After a case was filed over the incident, the accused allegedly continued to threaten Bulbul with death.
In the latest incident, Bulbul was returning home after finishing work late Thursday night when a group of 10-15 people led by Sifat intercepted him in front of Taher Ali Pradhan’s house in Saleh Nagar, Bandar. The attackers allegedly assaulted him with sharp weapons, iron pipes, machetes, cleavers and switchblade knives before fleeing the scene.
Locals rescued Bulbul and rushed him to Narayanganj General (Victoria) Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Following the killing, Bulbul’s brother filed a murder case with Bandar Police Station on Thursday, August 21.
Immediately after the case was filed, a specialised team of Bandar Police launched an operation with the help of information technology under the overall supervision of Narayanganj Police Superintendent Md Mizanur Rahman Munshi and on the instructions of Additional Superintendent of Police Tarek Al Mehedi.
That night, police arrested 11 people, including alleged mastermind Sheikh Sifat, 32, from an area near Pak Panjatan City Jame Mosque.
Police said that during the operation, the suspects attempted to seize police weapons. A team of around 100 police officers engaged in a nearly hour-long chase and confrontation, after which the suspects were forced to surrender.
Police said they recovered one chhyan da, two switchblade knives, one steel cleaver, one iron pipe, one knife with a plastic handle, one walkie-talkie and 14 stainless-steel iron pipes during the operation.
Police said 14 cases against prime accused Sheikh Sifat, 19 against Juman and four against Riyad are currently pending before the courts. The arrested suspects were sent to court on Friday.
Meanwhile, angry residents blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway around 10am on Friday, August 21, and staged a protest for nearly an hour, setting fire to objects on the road. They demanded the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved in the killing.
Protesters also staged demonstrations on the road in the Shahi Mosque area, disrupting traffic and creating tension in the locality. Family members and residents demanded that all those involved be swiftly arrested and brought to justice.
Regarding the highway blockade, the OC said the protesters were persuaded to leave the highway and that traffic had returned to normal. Legal proceedings in connection with the incident are underway.
Narayanganj Police Superintendent Md Mizanur Rahman Munshi said any crime that threatens law and order would be identified quickly and those responsible would be brought to justice.
“Police are committed to ensuring a fair trial for such a brutal killing,” he said, adding that operations against notorious criminals would continue to make Narayanganj a peaceful district.
