Shooting over school body polls leaves 7 injured

At least seven people, including two siblings, suffered bullet injuries as the president of a high school managing committee allegedly opened fire on his rival group over the school's managing body election in Morelganj upazila yesterday.

Of the injured, the condition of two siblings Abu Hossain Sikdar, 33, and Abu Hanif Sikdar, 38, son of Sikdar Khalilur Rahman, was critical. They were undergoing treatment at Khulna Medical College Hospital. The other injured were admitted to different hospitals and clinics.

Locals said there had been a longstanding conflict between the managing committee president, Sikdar Mahbubur Rahman, and his cousin Khalilur over establishing supremacy in the area. Mahbub is a former secretary of Putikhali union unit Awami League and Khalilur is the incumbent secretary of the unit BNP in the union.

Mahabub was a member candidate in yesterday's election to the managing committee of Sonakhali Mahobbat Ali High School.

Mahbub suspected that Khalilur was helping his opposition group in the polls, locals said.

Eyewitnesses said some activists of Mahbub's rival group gathered at Sonakhali Bazar around 10:30am. Suddenly, Mahbub along with seven to eight people, including his younger brother Sikdar Mizanur Rahman, went there and fired bullets on them with his licenced shotgun, leaving seven people wounded.

Contacted, Rashedul Alam, officer-in-charge of Morelganj Police Station, confirmed the incident and said police detained Mahbub and his brother.