BNP leader, police officer killed in van crash

A local BNP leader and a police sub-inspector were killed after a covered van hit a police patrol team in Kaliganj, Gazipur, early Friday. Two other police personnel were injured, one critically.

The accident occurred around 3:30 AM on October 23 in front of Kaliganj Government Shramik College on the Tongi-Ghorashal regional highway.

Kaliganj Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Md Ashraful Islam confirmed the incident.

Police said SI Mizanur Rahman and his team were conducting patrol and executing arrest warrants when an unidentified covered van hit them as they questioned several suspected individuals beside the highway.

SI Mizanur, PSI Javed Omar, driver constable Fazle Rabbi and BNP leader Rafiqul Islam were injured. The van driver allegedly dragged Mizanur for nearly half a kilometre before fleeing towards Ghorashal.

The injured were taken to Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex, where Rafiqul Islam was declared dead at 3:55am. Mizanur was later taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he was declared dead at 6:47am. Javed Omar remains under treatment, while Fazle Rabbi was sent to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital in Gazipur.

The deceased BNP leader, Mohammad Rafiqul Islam Rafiq Mollah, was the organisational secretary of Ward No. 2 BNP under Kaliganj Municipality.

Additional Superintendent of Police Sheikh Muttazul Islam and Kaliganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Zakir Hossain visited the scene.

-AJM