United News of Bangladesh

A sub-inspector of police and a local BNP leader were killed and two other policemen injured when a covered van hit a police patrol team in Kaliganj upazila of Gazipur early Friday. The deceased were identified as SI Mizanur Rahman of Kaliganj Police Station and Mohammad Rafiqul Islam Molla, organising secretary of the ward No. 2 unit of BNP in Kaliganj municipality. Inspector (Investigation) of Kaliganj Police Station Md Ashraful Islam said a police team, led by Mizanur, was conducting patrols on the Tongi-Ghorashal regional highway and serving arrest warrants. At one stage, the police stopped their vehicle in front of Government Kaliganj Sramik College and intercepted several suspected persons for questioning. Around 3:30am, an unidentified covered van rammed into them, leaving Mizanur, Probationary SI Javed Omar, driver constable Fazle Rabbi and BNP leader Rafiqul seriously injured. According to police, the covered van driver struck Mizanur and dragged him for about half a kilometre before leaving him beside the road and fleeing towards Ghorashal in Narsingdi. Locals rescued the injured and took them to Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex, where the on-duty physician declared Rafiqul dead. Mizanur and Javed, who were critically injured, were later sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment. However, Mizanur succumbed to his injuries there in the morning. Rabbi was shifted to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital in Gazipur for treatment. Police could not trace the covered van and its driver. It was not immediately clear why BNP leader Rafiqul was at the scene at the time of the incident. Additional Superintendent of Police (Kaliganj Circle) Sk Muttajul Islam and Kaliganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Zakir Hossain visited the scene after the incident.