Seven killed in Khulna in 12 days as two bullet-hit bodies are found on a river char in Rupsha

Violence shows no sign of stopping in Khulna. In the latest incident, the bullet-hit bodies of two young men were found on a char of the Atharobeki river in Rupsha upazila. In all, seven people have lost their lives in Khulna city and district over the past 12 days. Another five people were shot during the same period, among them three current and former leaders of the Jubo Dal.

Police recovered the two bodies at around 12:30 pm on Monday (November 2) from the Singher Char area of Aichgati union in Rupsha upazila. The dead were identified as Mehedi Hasan, 35, and Rezaul Karim, 30.

According to police and local sources, residents first saw one body lying on the Atharobeki river char at midday on Monday. When the water receded at low tide, they saw another body at the same spot. On being informed, police went to the scene and recovered both bodies with the help of local people.

Mehedi was the son of Abdullah of the Rajapur area of Rupsha and once worked as a boatman at the jail ghat. According to preliminary police information, Mehedi and Rezaul were active members of 'B-Company', a criminal group built by Roni Chowdhury, alias Grenade Babu, a discussed figure in Khulna's underworld. Bullet marks were found on both bodies.

Rupsha police station officer-in-charge Masum Khan said it is suspected that Mehedi and Rezaul were shot dead and their bodies dumped in the river. Mehedi had a bullet mark beside his eyebrow above the eye, while Rezaul had bullet marks under his chin and on his back. The motive for the killings is being investigated, he said.

Mehedi's father Abdullah came to the scene after hearing of the recovery. He told reporters that Mehedi lived separately and that he had little contact with his son.

Earlier, on Sunday evening, Humayun Kabir, joint convener of the Khulna city unit of the Tanti Dal, was killed inside his own business establishment, a restaurant in the Rayermahal area under Arongghata police station. Attackers hacked him to death. On Saturday night, police recovered the body of a young man from a road in the Labonchora area of the city; police said he had been killed with a sharp weapon and left on the road.

On October 25, a man was beaten to death in the Sonadanga police station area of the city. On October 24, miscreants shot college teacher Dhananjoy Kundu, alias Akash Kundu, in the Dakshin Tutpara Gachhtala area. The same morning, Jubo Dal leader Ramim Biswas was shot and injured in Terokhada upazila.

On the morning of October 22, a young man was shot dead in the Purba Baniakhamar area of the city. That evening, a housewife was killed by gunfire in the Jinnahpara area.

Alongside the killings, shooting incidents have also risen. Between the night of October 26 and the afternoon of October 27, three separate shooting incidents took place. In two places in Batiaghata upazila, two former Jubo Dal leaders were shot and injured, while an employee of a private organisation was shot in Khulna city. Ramim Biswas had also been shot in Terokhada on October 24.

According to police figures, up to November 1 this year, 75 people have been killed in Khulna city and district in various ways, including shootings and sharp-weapon attacks. Police primarily suspect motives including control of arms and drug trades and extortion, previous enmity and feuds between criminal groups.

The series of killings and shootings has raised concern over law and order in the city and district. Police say investigations are under way to identify those involved, uncover the motives and bring the offenders under the law.