Hartal underway in Sundarganj upazila protesting Lawmaker Liton’s death

Gaibandha: Sundarganj upazila Awami League enforced a day-long hartal in the upazila on Sunday protesting the murder of local lawmaker Manjurul Islam Liton.
Golam Mostafa, general secretary of Sundarganj upazila unit of Awami League, said they called the day-long hartal on 12:30am on Sunday demanding immediate arrest of Liton’s killers.
The body of Liton will be sent to Dhaka on Sunday morning where his first namaz-e-janaza will be held at South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad.
Later, the body will be brought back to Gaibandha for burial.
Meanwhile, a three-member delegation of Awami League, led by its central leader Jahangir Kabir Nanak, visited the family members of the slain lawmaker.
An autopsy was conducted on the body of the slain lawmaker at Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH) at about 11:00pm on Saturday, said Dr Bimal Chandra of RMCH.
Manjurul Islam Liton, lawmaker of Gaibandha-1 constituency, was shot to death by miscreants at his family residence at Bamandanga village in Sundarganj upazila on Saturday.
Superintendent of Gaibandha police Ashraful Islam said two unidentified men entered Liton’s house at about 6:00pm saying they wanted to meet him.
As the unsuspecting lawmaker went to the guestroom to talk to them, the gunmen opened fire at him.
Hit by bullets in the chest, Liton was taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital where he died at about 7:37pm, said officer-in-charge of Sundarganj Police Station Atiar Rahman.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Abdul Hamid expressed deep shock at the death of Liton.
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police have already arrested four people in connection with the murder.
Liton’s supporters torched a local dispensary following the news of his murder.
On the other hand, security was beefed up at several points of the district.
Liton hit headlines after shooting an 8-year-old boy, Sourav, son of Sazu Miah of Gopalcharan village in the upazila, on 2 October 2015.