A BNP leader was killed in a clash in Dhaka’s Adabor area following celebrations over Brazil’s victory in the FIFA World Cup, police said on Friday, adding that nine suspects have been detained in connection with the incident.
The victim, Abul Bashar, 45, general secretary of the Nabodoy Housing Unit BNP under Adabor Thana, died after sustaining injuries in the violence on Wednesday night.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Deputy Commissioner (Tejgaon Division) Fazlul Karim said nine suspects were detained during separate raids in different parts of the capital on Thursday and Friday. Two of them were picked up from the Nabodoy Housing area on Thursday afternoon and are being questioned.
He said Bashar’s family would file a murder case with Adabor Police Station after his burial in his village home. The detainees would then be shown arrested in the case.
According to Fazlul Karim, four of the suspects were detained by the Detective Branch (DB) of police, while three others were held by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
Police said the conflict began on Tuesday night during celebrations following Brazil’s victory in the World Cup. An altercation reportedly broke out when local youths were beating drums and blowing whistles in celebration. At one stage, a man identified as Habib allegedly assaulted a youth named Nirob.
The following day, Adabor unit BNP President Saddam Hossain allegedly assaulted Nirob again and was accused of forcibly taking him away. Local BNP leaders later attempted to resolve the dispute through mediation.
However, after a mediation meeting at Nabodoy Kitchen Market on Wednesday night, a chase and counter-chase broke out between the two groups. During the violence, Bashar and Saddam were allegedly attacked with sharp weapons and critically injured.
They were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared Bashar dead at around 11:45 pm. Saddam remains under treatment, Fazlul Karim said.
Bashar worked as a private car driver and served as general secretary of the Nabodoy Housing Unit BNP in Adabor. He hailed from Nandail in Mymensingh and lived with his wife, a son and a daughter in a rented house in the Nabodoy Housing area.
