BNP for probe into use of Chinese rifle by police

Accusing a police officer of firing illegally at their party’s programme in Narayanganj on Thursday with a Chinese Rifle, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday demanded a probe into the matter to punish the offender.

“We would like to know why police fired at a peaceful programme in Narayanganj marking our party’s founding anniversary. Journalists have unveiled that a Narayanganj police officer opened fire on our rally, I thank journalists for that,” he said.

Showing a photo published in a newspaper, the BNP leader said Kanak, a Sub-inspector of Detective Branch (DB) of police, opened fire with a Chinese Rifle though he did not have jurisdiction to use such a firearm.

“So, where did this Chinese rifle come from? What order has prompted him to shoot my brother dead? From this meeting, we demand that an investigation be carried out into the firing with a Chinese Rifle at a political programme and the responsible person must be punished by bringing him to justice. If you don’t do this we won’t sit idle,” he said.

Fakhrul made the remarks while speaking at a rally in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office protesting the killing of a Juba Dal activist Shaon Pradhan at the Narayanganj rally on Thursday.

The BNP leader said Narayanganj police superintendent and ruling party leaders have been repeatedly saying slain Shaon was only a welding worker at a factory, not a Jubo Dal activist.

Fakhrul posed the question: “Even if he was not a political element, who gave this government and police the authority to shoot someone dead for no reason?”

Referring to his Friday visit to Shaon’s Narayanganj house, Fakhrul in an emotion-choked voice said, “His mother said my son told me that he would eat after returning from the programme. But he didn’t get to return and eat. Can you tell us how to answer her? What will Hasina answer? Hasina must answer who is responsible for the murder of this young man.”

Stating that their party filed cases in Bhola for the murder of Abdur Rahim and Noor-e-Alam earlier in August, he said they will do the same in Narayanganj for the killing of Shaon.