Parbatya Sramik Oikya Parishad, a platform of Bangalee settlers, held a rally at the press club in the district yesterday, demanding exemplary punishment of the killers of three cattle traders who were abducted on Saturday.

The speakers at the rally alleged that the cattle traders were brutally murdered after abduction by one Tripura group on Monday.

The victims are Abu Bakkar, 30, Absar Ali, 28, and Md Shabuddin, 29, of Obaidur Hakimpara in Alikadom upazila of the district.

A gang abducted the cattle traders from remote Tong Pue Para on Saturday noon when they went there with Tk 2.5 lakh to buy cattle, said police. 

On information, the law enforcers recovered the bodies from remote Rombetpara area in Thanchi upazila on Monday. The bodies were blindfolded and their limbs tied.

Police arrested four men of the Tripura community in connection with the incident.

The arrestees are John Tripura, 23, Robert Tripura, 24, Joshin Tripura, 25, and Jibon Tripura, 27, of the upazila.

Meanwhile, the daylong hartal, enforced by the Bangalee settlers, protesting the killing of three cattle traders, passed off peacefully in Thanchi upazila yesterday, said Sirajul Islam, officer-in-charge of Thanchi Police Station.

Vehicular movement on the upazila roads was almost normal in the morning. Most of the business establishments kept their shutters down.

No long-route buses passed through the upazila headquarters, said locals.

Yesterday evening, local agitating Bangalees torched the house of a man of Tripura community in the area, said police.