A senior leader of the ruling Awami League in Noakhali's Companiganj upazila was critically wounded at a shooting incident by criminals yesterday.

The victim is Noornobi Chowdhury, 65, general secretary of the upazila AL and chairman of Sirajpur Union Parishad.

Noornobi belongs to the opposing group of Abdul Quader Mirza, the younger brother of AL general secretary Obaidul Quader.

Locals and police suspect that Mirza's followers launched the attack on Noornabi, who was also beaten mercilessly with iron rods by them.

Noornobi's family members said he was travelling from Sirajpur to Basurhat Bazar on a motorbike yesterday morning. He reached at Masterpara area at around 11:00am.

Right then, a gang intercepted the motorbike, hit Noornobi with iron rods multiple times and shot him from a very close distance. A bullet hit Noornobi's left leg while another hit his right ankle.

He was rushed to a local health complex by locals. Later, he was shifted to National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation as his physical condition kept deteriorating, said Noman Hossain, younger brother of the victim.

Companiganj upazila health complex's health officer Dr Md Selim said Noornobi suffered bullet injuries in both of his legs. Furthermore, multiple injury marks were found in different parts of his body.

Nazim Uddin Liton and Rashel alias Keccha Rashel, followers of Mirza, led the gang that attacked Noornobi, alleged Noman.

The upazila unit president freedom fighter Khizir Hayat Khan also alleged the Mirza is behind the attack.

Contacted, Quader Mirza denied the allegation and said Noornobi embezzled money from the poor. That is why, those people might be angry with him and might have attacked him.

Hours after the attack, police arrested a youth Ismail Hossain Palash in connection with the incident, said Mir Zahidul Haque Rony, officer-in-charge of Companiganj police station.

He also suspects that Liton and Rashel led the attack.

Police were conducting drives to arrest other attackers. No police case was filled in this connection (till the filing of the report around 3:00pm), said Alamgir Hossain, superintendent of police of Noakhali.

Politics in Companiganj became volatile since Mirza began making comments against corruption and misdeeds committed by AL men in Noakhali and Feni for the last few months.

On multiple occasions, he even came down heavily on government officials for their alleged involvement with corrupt politicians. He also repeatedly criticised his brother Obaidul Quader and his wife for patronising corrupt politicians.

Two deadly clashes had occurred there between two AL groups over establishing supremacy in the area.

One group was led by Mirza and the other by Badal, a follower of lawmakers Ekramul Karim Chowdhury and Nizam Uddin Hazari.

The first clash took place on February 19 that killed a local journalist Borhan Uddin Muzakkir, 30, and injured many others.

The two groups again clashed on March 9, leaving CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver Alauddin, 22, dead and 30 others injured.