At least 21 people, including a ‘known drug peddler’, have been named in a case filed over the killing of Syed Md Sohel, the councillor of Cumilla City Corporation Ward-17 and another political leader.
Sohel’s brother, Syed Md Rumon filed the case on Tuesday, said Anwarul Azim, chief of Kotwali Police Station.
A group of masked assailants carried out the attack around 4 pm on Monday, killing Sohel, who is also the president of the local Awami League unit, and Haripad Saha, president of the Sramik League’s local committee, at Sohel’s shop in Pathriapara, reports bdnews24.com.
Four others injured in the gunfire are receiving treatment at Cumilla Medical College.
The case dossier names 11 suspects while another 10 are unidentified, said Anwarul Azim.
Police did not provide any additional details on the case.
“Known local drug peddlers have killed my brother because he waged a war against drugs. They are named in the case,” said plaintiff Rumon.
Shah Alam, 28, from Shujanagar in Cumilla, is the main suspect among the 11 named in the case and is a suspected drug dealer. He is also accused in multiple other cases.
Haripad Saha had ‘identified’ Shah Alam as he was being taken to the hospital where he died, claims Rumon.
The other suspects named in the case are - Sabir Hossain, 28, Sumon, 32, Jishan Mia, Rony, 32, Sohel, 28, Saimon, 30, Sajan, 32, Masum, 35, Ashikur Rahman Rocky, 32, and Alam, 35.
Sohel, 52, was a deputy mayor of the city corporation, having worked as a member of the Cumilla Metropolitan Awami League and a joint convenor of the Cumilla Metropolitan Jubo League, the ruling party’s youth unit.
Police said they recovered two LGs, a pipegun, one and a half dozen hand-bombs, three black bags and 12 rounds of bullets from an area half a kilometre away from the scene of the attack. They have deployed additional personnel in the area but have yet to arrest anyone.
“Multiple teams of police are investigating the incident and collecting evidence. They are also interrogating people and gathering information. The accused will be arrested soon,” said Police Superintendent Faruk Ahmed.
The RAB Crime Prevention Unit is also investigating the incident and will hopefully arrest the attackers soon, said RAB-11 chief Mohammad Sakib Hossain.