Independent candidate's agent beaten dead in Noakhali

NOAKHALI, Jan 14 (UNB): An agent of an independent candidate was beaten to death by miscreants in Sonaimuri upazila of Noakhali district on Saturday night.

The deceased was identified as Shahiduzzaman Palash, son of Jamal Hossain and a supporter of independent candidate Ataur Rahman Bhuiya.

Ataur was also a supporter of Awami League and Palash worked as an agent in January 7 election supporting Ataur.

Bakhtier Uddin Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Sonaimuri Police Station, said being informed by local people police recovered the body of Palash from East Mirzanagar village in Sonaimuri upazila around 10 pm and sent it to Noakhali 25-bed Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Miscreants might have hit him with heavy things on his head, said OC. Local people said Palash returned from Saudi Arabia five years back and he worked for the independent candidate in the election actively.

However, it is not clear whether Palash's death is related to the wave of post-poll violence, said police.

Meanwhile, family members of Palash said he went out from his house around 8pm on Saturday to join a party but his body was found near his house at night.