Jamaat leader killed in \\\'shootout\\\' on 63rd day of \\\'blockade\\\'

A leader of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was killed in a 'shootout' on Monday, as the ongoing countrywide blockade coupled with hartal passed the 63rd day amid arson attacks, blasts and clashes.
The incident of 'shootout' was reported in Mithapukur, Rangpur in the early hours of the day. But family members of the victim brought allegation of extra-judicial killing against the law-enforcers.
The deceased was identified as Nazmul Huda Lavlo, upazila unit president of Sramik Kallyan Federation, a front organisation of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.    
Talking to the FE, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Mithapukur Police Station Humayun Kabir said a team of policemen approached towards Baldipukur area on information that a group of troublemakers were uprooting trees there to create obstacle on Dhaka-Rangpur Highway.
When the police team reached there at about 3:15 am, the pro-blockade activists started blasting crude bombs targeting the law-enforcers that prompted them to open fire to take the situation under control, the police officer said.
"He (Lavlo) was caught in the line of fire and critically wounded," he said, adding that the victim was rushed to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital, where attending doctors declared him dead.
But family members said police detained Lavlo, also former president of local unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir, after calling him from home at midnight and gunned him down.
In Borguna, pro-blockade activists allegedly firebombed a pickup, parked at the garage of Agro Service Centre of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) of the district. However, none was hurt in the arson attack.
Another pickup van was torched allegedly by pickets in Truck Road area of the district in early morning. Soon after the arson attack, police launched a crackdown in the area and arrested 11 people in connection with the incident.
Clashes between policemen and blockaders took place in Jail Road area under Dinajpur Sadar Police Station at noon that left at least five people injured. Police also arrested four people from the spot.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in a latest statement said the country is suffering from image crisis, as Bangladesh now stands atop the list for violating human rights in the world.
The statement, issued by the party's joint secretary general Salah Uddin Ahmed, said the government did not bother a little although the United Nations, the US, the European Union (EU) and the UK along with other countries and global bodies expressed their deep concern over the growing incidents of extra-judicial killing.
It also strongly condemned the recent report over an alleged plot of BNP high command to kidnap Prime Minister's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, saying that all should refrain from such handicapped-like behaviour.
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