Attempted murder of Swechasebak Dal convener, joint convener named as accused
Ishwardi Swechasebak Dal Convener Shariful Islam Sharif (left) and Joint Convener Bipul Hossain Budu. Photo: Agamir Somoy
A case was filed six days after an alleged attempt to kill Shariful Islam Sharif, convener of the Swechasebak Dal in Ishwardi, Pabna, by shooting him. The main accused is Bipul Hossain Budu, joint convener of the upazila Swechasebak Dal. Bipul called it a ‘motivated case.’
Shariful, who was attacked, filed the case at Ishwardi Police Station on Tuesday night. Six people including Bipul were named in the case. Another five to seven unidentified people were also accused.
Upazila Swechasebak Dal Joint Convener Bipul lives in the Mantrimor area of Sahapur. He is the younger brother of Habibur Rahman Habib, convener of the Pabna district BNP. The other accused in the case are Upazila Tarun Dal Joint Secretary Rabbi Malitha, Jubo Dal leader Sahan Hossain, BNP leader Nasu Pramanik, Arif Hossain alias Kala Arif and Mukul Hossain.
At around 11:30pm last Wednesday, Sharif was returning home by private car from Jaynagar Shimultala Bazar in the upazila. At that time, miscreants blocked his way and opened fire. A bullet broke through the car window and passed through his jaw. The attackers later hacked him and fled.
Locals rescued him and first took him to Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex. He was later admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for better treatment. After recovering, he went to the police station and filed the case on Tuesday night.
Sharif claimed that he had recognized the attackers. He said he had no previous enmity with them. He alleged that they carried out the attack for money at someone else's direction. Bipul, the younger brother of district BNP convener Habib, was present during the attack, he said.
Recently, a dispute between district BNP leader Habib and Sharif became public over the position of chairman of the managing committee of Manik Nagar Girls High School. At the time, Sharif wrote a Facebook post addressed to Habib saying, “A question to the beloved guardian of the paddy sheaf of Ishwardi and Atgharia. For how much money did you sell the position of chairman of the managing committee of Maniknagar Girls High School to Tushar Mahaldar, son of Amir Hossain Bablu Mahaldar, the founding general secretary of Ishwardi Upazila Awami League and nephew of retired DIG Nawsher Saheb, known as Sheikh Hasina's right hand?”
Sharif believes the attack on him was linked to the dispute over the school committee.
Regarding the allegations, Bipul said, “The people of Ishwardi know me and my family very well. In my political life, I have never been involved in activities such as attacks and I am not involved in them now either. My name has been included in the case deliberately. A fair investigation will prove that.”
Regarding the dispute over the school committee, district BNP leader Habib said, “At Sharif's request and appeal, I made him chairman of the ad hoc committee of Manik Nagar Girls High School. But while he was in charge, he did not attend the school even for a single day. Later, when forming the full committee, local residents and the head of the institution formed a committee of their choice without informing me.”
He made a counter allegation against Sharif, saying, “After August 5, Sharif used the name of BNP to carry out attacks, vandalism, looting and extortion in various places and became the owner of millions of taka. During the election period, he regularly took money. Yet he did not vote for the paddy sheaf and instead voted for the weighing scale. Finally, he deliberately made my brother Budu an accused in the case. And the administration sent the case to court without even investigating it.”
Ishwardi Police Station Officer in Charge (OC) Ashadur Rahman said efforts to identify the accused had been underway since the night of the incident. The case was registered on Tuesday night. Police have started working to arrest the accused after investigating the case.
