DHAKA: Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said the killing of Teknaf municipal ward councillor Akramul Haque in an alleged gunfight with law enforcers is being investigated.

Drawing comparison with the sensational seven-murder of Narayanganj, Quader said involved Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) men were given death sentence in N’ganj case. No senior RAB officer was spared then. Akram’s death is also being investigated and perpetrators, whoever they are, will be brought to justice. 

Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, made the remarks to reporters at an accord signing ceremony of the Metro-rail project at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in Agargaon on Sunday (June 3).

Recently, Akramul, a municipal ward-councillor of Teknaf upazila, was killed in an alleged shootout with members of RAB during the ongoing anti-drug crackdown. The death draws countrywide criticism. 

Later, deceased Akram’s wife and daughters called a press conference where audio clips, containing conversation between Akram and his family members at the time of his death, were released. The audio clips exploded through social media adding more fuel to the public anger against extra judicial killings during anti-drug drives.

Following the release of the audio clips, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal today said the government has obtained the records and the matter will be investigated through executive magistrate.

Quader also reassured the same thing. He said, “Who is Akram? He was the president of Jubo League. So does it make sense that we have killed our own man?”

He also asked countrymen to have faith on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s promise saying that no wrong doers will manage to escape justice. 

BDST: 1710 HRS, JUNE 3, 2018
AP/SMS