Three people were shot dead on Friday night (21 February) in Ramchandrapur village of Shailkupa upazila, Jhenaidah. The victims were identified as Abu Hanif (56), a leader of the banned Purbo Banglar Communist Party, his brother-in-law Liton (35), and Raisul (24).
A man named Kalu, claiming to be the leader of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) Gono Bahini, took responsibility for the killings in WhatsApp messages to journalists on Saturday (22 February).
In his message, Kalu alleged that Hanif and his associates were involved in numerous crimes, including enforced disappearances, murders, land grabs, rapes, and robberies. "We have eliminated Hanif and his two associates as part of justice for their crimes. We warn Hanif's allies in Jhenaidah and nearby districts to cease such activities, or they will face the same fate," Kalu wrote.
Shailkupa Police Station Officer-in-Charge Masum Khan confirmed that police recovered the bodies from the scene and sent them for autopsies.
No case had been filed as of Saturday evening. However, police assured that efforts were underway to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Hanif’s brother, Sajedul Islam, recounted that Hanif had received a phone call on Friday afternoon and left home shortly after.
This latest attack occurred at the same location where five individuals were murdered on 5 December 2003, a crime attributed to extremist factions engaged in a bloody feud. The killings then, like now, sent shockwaves through the community.
The district saw violent clashes among splinter groups of outlawed organizations, such as Purbo Banglar Communist Party, JSD factions, and others, who targeted rivals under the guise of eliminating "class enemies."
Hundreds of locals gathered at Shailkupa Police Station early Saturday upon learning about the murders. While some expressed outrage, others voiced concerns about the possibility of a return to the violent era of the 1990s.
Who was Hanif?
Hanif, 56, was a regional commander of the extremist group Purbo Banglar Communist Party Janajuddho. In 90’s decade of last century, he notoriety terrorized the region through killings and robberies. Police records show he faced 14 cases, including charges of murder, kidnapping, and robbery.
After being released from prison in 2014, Hanif resumed criminal activities. In 2018, he reportedly killed the president of a local fishing cooperative to seize control of a waterbody in Harinakundu upazila, where he had been cultivating fish for years.
