Unidentified killers active 4 of a family in Kurigram, JL leader in Jessore slain as crimes mark rise

 A rise in the incidents of killing, hijacking, robbery, theft and crimes of other types including sexual assault and gang rape is adding tension in the country in recent time. Four persons of a family at Burungamari upazila in Kurigram were killed at their home yesterday and nobody knew who committed the gruesome murders. In Jessore a Jubo League leader was similarly shot at and killed and the killer escaped undetected. The number of daily incidents is hefty and hardly compiled from all over the country. The question is how criminals have become so daring and taking on their targets every day without fear and care of the law enforcing agencies. Many tend to believe that it is happening because of the diversion of attention of the members of police and other law enforcing agencies to help the government conducting the voter less January 5 election. Their attention to chase the opposition has created the environment to give the criminals the freedom to kill people as they would like.Taking advantage of the lawlessness, a section of police is also busy in large scale arrest of people from across the country which is being dubbed now as “arrest business.” for money. None would however, say anything it be quoted. The government, which was sworn in on January 12, has however, identified ensuring security of people’s life and property as one of its one major challenges to be dealt with immediately. But it is also feared that if police continue to chase the opposition, criminals will remain at large.  The increase in incidents of crimes can also be attributed to failure of the government to generate employment to vast number of unemployed people. The statistics available on website of law enforcing agencies also demonstrates increase in number of incidents of crime in 2013 compared to crimes record of 2012. Meanwhile, unidentified miscreants stabbed four members of a family, two of them were children to death and seriously injured another with sharp weapons at Bhurangamari upazila in Kurigram district early Wednesday.The deceased have been identified as Sultan Mia, 55, a farmer, his wife Hazera Begum, 45, their two grand daughters Rumana, 14, and Anisa, 7. The injured one is Mousumi, 16, daughter of the couple.They were inhabitants of Diadanga village bordering India. The motive behind the gruesome murder could not be known immediately, said AHM Mahfuzar Rahman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bhurungamari Police Station, “None has been arrested so far in this connection.”‘Mousumi is now undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College and Hospital (RMCH),” said Sahabuddin, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Kurigram.The incident occurred at about 2:30am, AZM Ershad Ahsan Habib, Bhurungamari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), told The New Nation.On information, the UNO sent a police team to the spot, which found three slit-throat bodies lying in a room while Hazera and Mousumi were groaning with stab injuries, Ahsan Habib said.Police with the help of local people took the two injured to the hospital. But Hazera died on way to the hospital. Police later recovered other bodies and sent them to Kurigram Sadar Hospital for autopsy, the ASP added.The ASP, however, could neither specify the reason behind the murder, nor identify any suspect behind the killing. The locals were also unable to provide any information to the police in connection with the tragic incident. A tense situation was prevailing in the area following the gruesome incident.In another incident of crime, Shepon a Jubo League leeader of Jessore was shot dead on Wednesday evening. The incident took place at Gho Beltala in the town at around 8 PM. Shepon was son of Nur Islam of Dhanpatthi area. Shepon, organizing Secretary of Jubo League Jessor town was killed when he was sitting at “Satkhira Ghose Dairy” at Beltala. Some people riding motorcycles shot him from closed distance. They were all masked. He was taken to Jessore Medical College and Hospital, when he was declared dead. It should be recalled that police could not yet arrest any one in connection with the murder of six persons in city’s Gopibagh on December 21 last. None of those behind the killing could be nabbed so far, which is a reflection of failure of the police to ensure security of life and property of the people. The manner of slaying led police to suspect that the banned outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was behind the killings.None of the killers who committed the gruesome crime at Ramkrishna Road on Dec 21 has been identified.The 60-year-old Faruk, who was killed with others used to claim he was Imam Mahadi or, at times, the chief officer of Imam Mahadi’s army. He and his followers used to practise religion in ‘their own way’, according to police.Faruk’s younger son Abdullah Al Faruk had filed a murder case with the Wari police on the same day, accusing 12 unknown men. The Detective Branch(DB) of police is investigating the case.About the progress of the probe, Dhaka police’s Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam said: “We have ascertained the motive behind the killing. The JMB was behind it.””We have proof that JMB chief Abdur Rahman kills people by slitting throats. Only the JMB uses this method among the militant organisations,” Islam added. He believed JMB targeted Faruk because of his rather deviant religious practice.The JMB came into the spotlight after a concerted bomb attack across Bangladesh. It was later outlawed and its chief, Rahman, was hanged in a murder case.Police, however, have not altogether struck off the Jamaat-e-Islami from the list of suspects.The DB official said Faruk used to openly criticize various Jamaat leaders. “He had termed the Jamaat ‘Dajjal’ (an enemy of Islam).” He hoped the criminals would be arrested soon.According to the police officer, eight men, all below the age of 30, were involved with the killings. All of them wore trousers and shirt but none sported a beard. “The killers had used more than one knife,” he said.Islam said police were working round the clock to nab the assailants. “Police have uncovered the arson cases at Shahbagh, Paribagh and Banglamotor. So, police will definitely nab the perpetrators of the six-murder soon,” he said.