A local Juba Dal leader who was injured in an attack by a BNP leader and his associates on the evening of February 7 in Sonatala upazila, Bogura, has died.
Rashedul Hasan, 27, a member of the Pakulla Union Juba Dal in Sonatala, passed away around 5:30 pm on Friday while undergoing treatment at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital. Inspector Harun Or Rashid, in-charge of the hospital’s police outpost, confirmed the death.
Rashedul was attacked by Abdul Hannan Batalu, the president of the Pakulla unit of BNP, and his associates at Pakulla Bazaar. Later, Rashedul’s family filed a complaint in connection with the incident.
Following news of Rashedul’s death on Friday evening, BNP and Juba Dal leaders and activists vandalized four to five houses belonging to Abdul Hannan and his associates.
Local residents said the community had become divided into three factions due to the formation of the management committee for Pakulla Multipurpose High School. One faction was led by Batalu, the president of the union BNP, while the other two factions were led by former BNP president Ali Hasan Narun and former Secretary of Bogura town Jamaat, Majedur Rahman Jewel.
This division led to a confrontation on the evening of February 7, when Jewel, along with 25-30 motorcyclists, paraded through Pakulla Bazaar. Batalu claimed that Jewel attempted to attack his house during this time. Rashedul was present in the motorcade, and after Jewel left, he was attacked by unknown individuals.
Ali Hasan, a BNP leader, stated that Rashedul was chased by Batalu’s men while riding a motorcycle. When Rashedul sought refuge in a nearby house, he was severely beaten.
Sonatala Police Station Officer-in-Charge Miladunnabi explained that tensions had been brewing in the area for several days due to the committee formation issue, which led to the assault on Rashedul. After his death on Friday, Rashedul’s supporters vandalized four to five houses belonging to Batalu and his associates, although Batalu and his men had already fled their homes.
The OC further noted that tensions remained high in Pakulla Bazaar following Rashedul's death, and police had been deployed in the area. A case will be filed regarding the assault on Rashedul.