Rajshahi dist AL leader found dead

A Rajshahi district Awami League leader was found dead yesterday.

Ziaul Haque Tuku was the treasurer of Rajshahi district unit AL and also an ex-administrator of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

Police recovered his body from his chamber beside the city corporation building in the afternoon.

The police claimed that Tuku might have accidentally shot himself with his licensed revolver. But his family claims that it was a murder.

Asaduzzaman Asad, general secretary of district unit AL, said Tuku was chatting with one Nayan, Jasim, Rabiul and Tariqul in the office.

“Nayan, one of Tuku's friends, who went to visit him at his office from Dhaka. He fled after the incident.”

Nayan admitted to Asad over the phone that he “accidentally” shot Tuku while examining the gun on his palm.

Family sources said Tuku rushed to his chamber after having lunch at home. A few minutes later, a close relative called him several times but did not get any response.

On suspicion, some relatives along with locals went to his chamber and found him in a pool of blood on the floor. His gun was lying beside him, they said.

On information, a team of Boalia police recovered the body and sent it to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Shahdat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Boalia Police Station, said, “Tuku had a licensed revolver, which he always kept with him. He might have accidentally shot himself while cleaning it. We would be able to give details after getting the autopsy report.”

Tuku's family members ruled out the possibility of any such accidents, saying he had been using the gun for many years. He was murdered, they claimed, but could not point at anyone as a suspect.

Mohammad Shamsuddin, commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, said, “They are trying arrest the four."

On February 12 last year, he fired three shots from his revolver in front of the west region railway controller's office after having failed to win a tender.

A case was filed to that end and he had to spend a few days in jail, the police said.