Jubo Dal Leader Zahirul Murder in Sonargaon: Case Filed Against 21, Chhatra Dal Leader Named Prime Accused

A case has been filed over the murder of Jubo Dal leader Fakir Zahirul Islam in Sonargaon, Narayanganj. Three days after the incident, the victim's nephew Ismail Hosen filed the case at Sonargaon police station as plaintiff on Saturday evening (24 October). The family, which had been waiting since the killing, has now formally entered the legal process.

Sonargaon police station officer-in-charge (OC) Muhammad Abdul Barik confirmed the filing. The news of the case became official through his confirmation.

Md Rizvi, organising secretary of Kalapaharia union Chhatra Dal in Araihazar, has been named the prime accused, with 21 people named in total. Another four to five unidentified people have also been accused.

Fakir Zahirul Islam was 48 years old. He was president of the Kalapaharia union Jubo Dal in Araihazar upazila. He was the son of Mohammad Abdur Rahman Bepari of Khaliarchar village in that union.

According to the case statement and the plaintiff's complaint, Zahirul Islam had become a candidate for the chairman post in the upcoming Kalapaharia union parishad election. The complaint says pressure was built on him surrounding that candidacy.

The plaintiff alleges that the accused had threatened Zahirul Islam at various times to make him withdraw his candidacy. The family claims the attack took place as a continuation of those threats.

According to the complaint, Zahirul Islam was attacked on Wednesday night while returning home after closing his medicine pharmacy. The place of attack was the Charkishoreganj area of Shambhupura union in Sonargaon upazila.

At that time, a group of 20 to 25 people led by Kalapaharia union Chhatra Dal organising secretary Rizvi allegedly blocked his path with locally made weapons, the case statement alleges. That allegation of a planned interception forms the core of the case.

He was then hacked indiscriminately, seriously injured and left behind, according to the complaint. Local people rescued him and took him to Munshiganj Sadar Hospital.

After being taken to Munshiganj Sadar Hospital, he died there. The case account says that although he reached the hospital in a seriously injured state, he could not be saved.

Sonargaon OC Muhammad Abdul Barik said a case has been filed naming 21 people over the Jubo Dal leader's murder, with another four to five unidentified people also accused. He said police have launched drives to arrest the accused named in the case statement.

The next step of the case now depends on the police drives. Those concerned believe the investigation into the killing will move further forward once the prime accused and others named in the statement are arrested.