Abdul Quader Mirza, mayor of Noakhali's Basurhat municipality and younger brother of Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, was sued yesterday over the death of an auto-rickshaw driver in an incident of violence in Companiganj upazila.

The victim's younger brother filed the case with Noakhali Cognisance Court-4 around 1:00pm, accusing 164 named and another 50-60 unnamed people.

Mirza was made the prime accused in the murder case. He was accused of instructing his followers to engage in violence that led to the death of auto-rickshaw driver Alauddin, 22. The mayor's son Mirza Masrur Quader and younger brother Shahdat Hossain were also made accused, said Shawkat Hossain,police inspector at the court.

After a hearing, the judge directed the officer-in-charge (OC) of Companiganj Police Station to submit a report within 15 working days stating whether any compliant or case was lodged with the police station earlier in this connection.

On March 9, a clash broke out between two AL factions -- one led by Mirza and the other by Companiganj upazila unit AL Organising Secretary Mizanur Rahman Badal -- at Basurhat, leaving Alauddin dead. Besides, 30 people, including six policemen, were injured.

Following the clash, the two factions blamed each-other for the death of the auto-rickshaw driver.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, the victim's younger brother, Emdad Hossain Raju, said he tried to file a case with Companiganj Police Station on March 11 over his brother's death.

"But police did not record it as Quader Mirza was made the prime accused in it. They suggested that I drop Mirza's name from the list of accused," Raju claimed.

He then filed the case with the court yesterday.

Asked, Mir Jahidul Haque Rony, OC of Companiganj Police Station, said there were some errors in the complaint and police asked the deceased's brother to come to station after correcting those.

But he didn't come to the station, the OC said.

Contacted, Mirza claimed he was a victim of conspiracy hatched by his rival group.

The mayor also said he was passing days in insecurity as his rivals were conspiring to kill him.

On February 19, another deadly clash took place in the area between the two factions. A local journalist, Borhan Uddin Muzakkir, 30, who was shot during the clash, died from wounds a day later.

Over the last two months, Mirza has been making comments, bringing allegations of corruption and misdeeds against AL men in Noakhali and Feni. On multiple occasions, he came down heavily on government officials for their alleged links with corrupt politicians.