Nine arrested over Islami Jubo Andolan leader’s murder, highway blocked in Narayanganj
Islami Jubo Andolan activists protest on the Dhaka Chattogram Highway. Photo: Agamir Somoy
Police have arrested nine people in connection with the murder of Bulbul, a leader of Islami Jubo Andolan and the plaintiff in a case related to the July uprising of 2024 in Narayanganj’s Bandar. Several police officers were injured during the arrest operation.
Meanwhile, members of the organization blocked the Dhaka Chattogram Highway and staged a protest Friday morning in protest of the murder. Local residents also staged a protest on the highway last night.
Police arrested nine people including prime accused Sheikh Sifat in a raid in the Nabiganj area of Bandar police station early Friday. Officer in Charge Jamal Uddin of Bandar police station confirmed the arrests. However, the identities of the other arrested individuals have not yet been confirmed.
Police said they identified the location of the suspects in Nabiganj based on a tip. When police went there to conduct the operation, Sheikh Sifat and his associates attacked them. Two police officers from Bandar police station were seriously injured. Additional police later arrived and brought the situation under control before arresting the suspects.
Meanwhile, around 9:30 am, local leaders and activists of Islami Jubo Andolan took position on the Dhaka Chattogram Highway in the Madanpur area of Narayanganj. They protested while carrying sticks. Bamboo and wood were set on fire on the road. Traffic was disrupted as vehicles became stranded on both sides of the highway.
The protesters left the area at 10:40 am after police spoke with them, the officer in charge said.
Regarding the arrested suspects, he said prime accused Sifat is a known criminal in the area. He faces multiple allegations involving various acts of violence and criminal activities. He had been in hiding since Bulbul was murdered.
The deceased, Md. Bulbul, was the law and human rights affairs secretary of the Bandar police station unit of Islami Jubo Andolan Bangladesh. He was hacked to death around 9:30 PM Thursday in the Saleh Nagar area of Ward 21 of Narayanganj City Corporation.
According to police, members of Sheikh Sifat’s group attacked Bulbul with machetes and left him there before fleeing. Local residents rescued him and took him to Narayanganj Victoria General Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
Bulbul was the plaintiff in a July related case filed at Bandar police station on August 20, 2024. Sheikh Sifat was listed as the sixth accused in the case.
Mufti Masum Billah, president of Islami Andolan Narayanganj Metropolitan unit, said, “During the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Bulbul’s garage was attacked and looted. Bulbul later filed a case over the incident. Local teen gang leader Sheikh Sifat and members of his group were named as accused in the case. As a result of this case, Sifat and members of his group attacked Bulbul in the Saleh Nagar area.”
Bulbul’s family members alleged that Sifat and his associates had been threatening him at different times since the case was filed and had been pressuring him to withdraw it.
After news of the attack on Bulbul spread, local residents and people from nearby areas began protesting that night. The homes of Sheikh Sifat’s relatives were also attacked. Protesters set tires on fire on the road. Officer in Charge Jamal Uddin went to the scene and assured them that the accused would be arrested. They then left the road.
The situation remains tense in the Bandar police station area. Additional police have been deployed there, the officer in charge said.
