Magura: Jubodal Leader Shaker Shot Dead Over Sharing of Looted Gold, Accused Tell Interrogators; Two Swechchhasebak Dal Leaders Expelled

Municipal Jubodal senior joint convenor Shaker Hossain was shot dead in a planned killing in Magura over the sharing of looted gold, accused arrested in the Shaker murder case have told interrogators, police say. Golam Zahid, district convenor of the Swechchhasebak Dal, and Maruf Hossain, its municipal convenor — both arrested in the case — have been expelled from the party.

The Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal took the decision to expel them on Tuesday (November 3) on charges of breaching party discipline.

In a press release signed by the organisation's central office secretary Kazi Abdullah Al Mamun, it was announced that Golam Zahid and Maruf Hossain had been expelled from all party posts including primary membership. Everyone concerned was also instructed to keep no party relations with them.

According to police and related sources, sensational information emerged during interrogation of the two leaders arrested in the widely discussed Shaker Hossain murder and gold loot case. The accused told interrogators that Shaker Hossain was shot dead in a planned manner over the division of the looted gold.

Magura superintendent of police Molla Azad Hossain said that, based on information given by the arrested accused in the Shaker murder case, six looted gold bars and a car used in the loot have been seized.

The police superintendent added that on October 6, about 150 bhori of gold was looted from a Golden Line Paribahan bus at Ramnagar in Magura Sadar upazila. Golam Zahid was arrested from Dhaka in the early hours of Tuesday in connection with that incident.

In addition, eight people have been arrested, including municipal Swechchhasebak Dal convenor and Magura Motor Workers Union general secretary Maruf Hossain, Taukir Jewel, Milton, Milton's wife Marufa, Farid Mondal and Bashir.

Police said several of the accused confessed during interrogation to their involvement, along with the deceased Shaker Hossain, in the gold loot.

In the Shaker murder case, Roni Shikdar, Shamim Tabassum Lubna, Jhenaidah gold trader Animesh Majumdar, municipal Swechchhasebak Dal convenor Maruf Hossain, district Swechchhasebak Dal convenor Zahid and Bashir have been sent to jail through a court.

On the morning of October 21, police recovered the bullet-ridden body of municipal Jubodal senior joint convenor Shaker Hossain from inside a Royal Paribahan counter at the Magura bus terminal. His wife filed a murder case over the incident. During the subsequent investigation, the link between the killing and the gold loot was found.