Lawmaker sued, surrenders arms

Liton

Gaibandha-1 MP Manzurul Islam Liton yesterday surrendered two licensed firearms to police, a day after he allegedly shot a 10-year-old boy.

Liton's brother-in-law Tariqul Islam Shamsuddin handed over a pistol and a shotgun to Sundarganj Police Station around 6:00pm on instructions from the local administration, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Israil Hossain of the station confirmed.

Saju Mia, father of victim Sourav Mia, filed a case against the ruling party lawmaker with the police station around 8:30pm, OC (Investigation) Zinnat Ali told The Daily Star.

Meanwhile, Gaibandha Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abdus Samad said the shooting incident was "true" and police had found "adequate information and evidence" from the spot.

Superintendent Ashraful Islam of Gaibandha police told journalists that they had requested the DC to cancel licences of all the firearms owned by the Awami League MP. "We hope actions will be taken soon."

The shooting took place at Brac Intersection in Gopalcharan village around 6:00am on Friday.

According to the victim's family, Sourav went for a morning walk with his uncle Shahjahan Ali. MP Liton was then returning to his home in Bamandanga from Sundarganj and stopped his car at the intersection.

When the lawmaker saw them, he called them in a hand gesture. Scared, Shahjahan started running away from there. Liton got angry at this and opened fire from his personal gun. Two bullets tore through Sourav's right leg and one through the left, they said.

Sourav, a class-IV student of Gopalcharan Govt Primary School, was undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

Before the lawmaker surrendered his guns, police on Friday night searched Liton's house for firearms, OC Jinnat said.

"Eyewitnesses told us that he [Liton] indeed had opened fire [on Sourav and his uncle]. Allowing him to possess any firearm under these circumstances would not be wise. So, we went to seize his guns, as directed by our high-ups," he said. "But we didn't find the lawmaker at home."

Earlier on Friday afternoon, police interrogated three eye-witnesses -- Tajul Islam, Sheuli Begum and Chanchal Mahmud.

Meanwhile, locals tried to block the Sundarganj-Rangpur road in Gopalcharan, protesting the shooting and demanding punishment for the lawmaker. But police drove them away, reports our Gaibandha correspondent.

Sundarganj Municipality Mayor Abdullah-Al-Mamun, also a local AL leader, said they would launch "a massive agitation" if the lawmaker is not arrested soon.